Job description Retail Pharmacist in the Northern Region

Find out what work is like for a retail pharmacist in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Pharmacists (NOC 31120).

Pharmacists

Description

Community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists compound and dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals and provide consultative services to both clients and health care providers. They are employed in retail and health centre pharmacies, or they may be self-employed. Industrial pharmacists participate in the research, development, promotion and manufacture of pharmaceutical products. They are employed in pharmaceutical companies and government departments and agencies.

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Pharmacists have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists
  • Check prescriptions for proper dosage
  • Compound prescribed pharmaceutical products by calculating, measuring and mixing the quantities of drugs and other ingredients required and filling appropriate containers with correct quantity
  • Dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals to customers or to other health care professionals and advise them on indications, contra-indications, adverse effects, drug interactions and dosage
  • Maintain medication profiles of customers including registry of poisons and narcotic and controlled drugs
  • Ensure proper preparation, packaging, distribution and storage of vaccines, serums, biologicals and other drugs and pharmaceuticals
  • Order and maintain stock of pharmaceutical supplies
  • Advise customers on selection and use of non-prescription medication
  • Renew existing prescriptions in limited circumstances
  • May adapt the formulation, regimen, duration or route of administration of medication
  • May supervise and coordinate the activities of other pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians and other staff.
  • Industrial pharmacists
  • Participate in research for the development of new drugs
  • Formulate new drug products developed by medical researchers
  • Test new drug products for stability and to determine absorption and elimination patterns
  • Coordinate clinical investigations of new drugs
  • Control the quality of drug products during production to ensure that they meet standards of potency, purity, uniformity, stability and safety
  • Develop information materials concerning the uses, properties and risks of particular drugs
  • Evaluate labelling, packaging and advertising of drug products
  • Promote pharmaceutical products to health professionals.

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 31120), and a list of similar occupations:

  • clinical pharmacist
  • community pharmacist
  • hospital pharmacist
  • industrial pharmacist
  • pharmacist
  • retail pharmacist

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as Pharmacists in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
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