Pharmacy is a fast growing field in the medical profession. The position of
a pharmacist has been around for over 100 years. In the 1800's, pharmacists
were mixing powders to make medicine. They had to learn which powders,
and how much of each, was required for each illness. Today, many of those
same skills are required. A Pharmacist must know which drugs a doctor wants prescribed.
Although the doctor does write on the prescription which drugs he/she wants
prescribed, the pharmacist must be able to substitute or chance the drug according
to availibility and patient requests. The patient may also be allergic to the drug the doctor
prescribed, which requires a substitution. If the doctor prescribed
amoxil (amoxicillan), for instance, and the patient was allergic to penicillan
(a component of amoxil), the pharmacist must know to prescribe something
from the erythromycin family (such as ERY-TAB). This information is important,
as some allergies are severe and can even cause death. Another thing the
pharmacist must be aware of is drug interaction. This being, when one drug
interacts with another taken in either a positive and helpful way, or in a bad,
and potentially life-threatening way. The combination of perhaps Coumadin and
a blood thinner for example, could cause someone to die in a matter of days.
This could happen because Coumadin is also a blood thinner, and if combined with another blood thinner or even blood pressure
medication improperly, can cause a person to "bleed out", which is to have massive internal and external
bleeding causing death very quickly. The bleeding, because of the thin blood and so
many origins of bleeding, is very hard if not impossible to stop. Luckilly, the event
of these sort of things happening is extremely rare, thanks to the well trained medical
professionals and pharmacists with whom we entrust with our care to.
Anyone can become a pharmacist. Follow the links below to learn more.
amoxil (amoxicillan), for instance, and the patient was allergic to penicillan
(a component of amoxil), the pharmacist must know to prescribe something
from the erythromycin family (such as ERY-TAB). This information is important,
as some allergies are severe and can even cause death. Another thing the
pharmacist must be aware of is drug interaction. This being, when one drug
interacts with another taken in either a positive and helpful way, or in a bad,
and potentially life-threatening way. The combination of perhaps Coumadin and
a blood thinner for example, could cause someone to die in a matter of days.
This could happen because Coumadin is also a blood thinner, and if combined with another blood thinner or even blood pressure
medication improperly, can cause a person to "bleed out", which is to have massive internal and external
bleeding causing death very quickly. The bleeding, because of the thin blood and so
many origins of bleeding, is very hard if not impossible to stop. Luckilly, the event
of these sort of things happening is extremely rare, thanks to the well trained medical
professionals and pharmacists with whom we entrust with our care to.
Anyone can become a pharmacist. Follow the links below to learn more.
