CAPSTONE ESSAY: PHARMACIST 1

Lee High School

Senior Capstone Essay:

What Do Pharmacists Do To Benefit Customers?

Eduardo Montiel

Lee High School

Peter Foote

April 21, 2016

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Abstract

The paper begins with the explanations of the importance of a pharmacist towards their

customers. keeping people healthy, keeping them informed, creating medicines, and assist the

unfortunate in need. They are experts in their career and know the very chemical composition of

many drugs. They properly dispense medicines in order to keep people healthy. They also share

all this knowledge with their customers and fellow medical practitioners so that everyone makes

the right decisions. Pharmacists also receive a constant education but they put this education to

good use by creating new medicines that are not already available. Finally, the help people in

third world countries who may not have pharmacists. In conclusion, pharmacists are very

important and they create a bond with customers that becomes a friendship.
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It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions, but hard to get one single remedy, Chinese

Proverb. Medicine is one of the most important inventions of mankind. It can even save people

from what wouldve been certain death. The best thing about medicine is how it can help people

and change their life for the better. It is important for people to take the right medications and

know the risks that come with it. There is a career that dispenses these important medicine, these

career specialists are called pharmacists. However other than dispensing prescribed medicine,

one must consider the other ways pharmacists have benefited people. Pharmacists have benefited

customers through numerous reasons such as keeping people healthy, keeping them informed,

creating medicines, and assisting the unfortunate in need.

Doctors are amazing, they save lives and help patients reach a healthy state of body and

mind. However doctors cannot do it all alone, they work many hours and have many patients to

see. This is where pharmacists come in, they do what the doctors cant. The doctors prescribe a

medication to the patient, the pharmacist then examines and expenses this medication. They can

prescribe hundreds of medications to a patient but it is up to the patient to determine which

remedy will really work. Of course, patients wouldnt like a random person giving them

medicine not knowing what it does, but pharmacists receive a constant education so they know

exactly what their patients needs. Its not just any broad knowledge of the drugs either. They

know everything about drugs, down to the chemical composition of the very drug (Role of a

Pharmacist).Sometimes they even communicate with other medical practitioners, such as nurses,

about certain drugs that should and shouldnt be prescribed to individual patients. This helps

them by eliminating the risks of taking the wrong medicines and possibly, causing even more,

harm to their bodies. They make sure these drugs are not harmful to the user, thus ensuring a
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recovery of the patient. Essentially healthcare is their main priority, thus leading them to be

experts in their practice. No one would want a pharmacist who doesnt know what hes doing,

and they wouldnt want him to be outdated on the newest medicines available. This is why they

often attend constant schooling to prepare for new advancements in medicine. This is by far

extremely beneficial to customers because they can rest assure they will be safe with the drugs

prescribed to them. Pharmacist, Kit Lam states that not only do they inspect the drugs prescribed

for patients, but they also take note of what doctors may not. Pharmacists also check other

prescriptions already being taken by the patients and determine how the new medications will

interact with the old ones. This is not the only way they benefit customers.

Knowledge is power, and knowledge on health and medicine can be powerful enough to

save lives. It was vaguely talked about in the paragraph before but, pharmacists are extremely

knowledgeable on prescription drugs. They have the knowledge to help people reach a healthy

state, this is all true. However pharmacists are not selfish people, their job is to inform others

with this vital data. Some of the people they inform are other health practitioners. There is a

communication between the two so that both parties can agree what the best solution for the

patients is. This by no means leaves the patients out of the advance knowledge. Pharmacists are

the bridge between customer and medicine. Whenever they hand out medicine they also give out

medical facts. Yes, they inform their patients about the side effects of their medicine, but they

also answer any questions that may be asked of them. They are ready and available 24/7 so

no-one goes without help. They are also available online on websites such as (Pharmacy Chat).

Here, professional certified pharmacists are always willing to help; They benefit customers by

sharing knowledge and really making a bond that goes beyond customer and provider. In modern
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society good help is harder to come by, however, these are dependable people who can help at

literally any time any day. These skills are great but this is not all they are useful for (Role of a

Pharmacist). Some pharmacist even become nutrition counselors and share dietary information

for patients with consumption issues, specifically diabetes. Apart from sharing knowledge of

medications, they also provide examples of active lifestyles and exercise plans. Apart from

knowledge of medicine they really know the biology of the human body. It is often times some

of the courses they take in college and they share it with their customers (Pharmacists as

nutrition counselors). They do everything they can to make sure their customers get the best out

of their lifestyle.

As masters of medicine, it is no surprise some pharmacists put their skills to good use by

creating medicines themselves. Through years of extensive research and study, pharmacists

know everything they need to know about medicine, so they can be confident when they create

infusions. These infusions are then injected into patients and even used at home as medicine.

They keep the medications confidential and ensure that there are no harmful drug interactions.

They must ensure that everything is perfect with the medicines they give so as to not harm the

health of the customer. This is a very challenging job but they are not alone, they often have

pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides who are very reliable. Even after all these some great

pharmacist are still not satisfied with the help they offer. They spend their free time researching

the latest drugs to see what great medicines they can create to save millions of lives. All this

helps customers because not every illness is similar. Some need special treatments because some

drugs just wont work on them. They determine the cost-benefit of each drug before deciding to

dispense it. In the chaotic world of today, it is nice for customers to know they have someone
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they can always depend on. Of course, the help doesn't end there, pharmacists can even help

those who are less fortunate about (Granby).

Pharmacists often lack the proper manpower to be everywhere at once. All throughout the

third world, there is often many crises and they lack the proper experts to help deal with the

issue, and thus pharmacist venture forth to the new location. Often times these countries have no

access to basic life-saving drugs. Sometimes the unregulated markets even sell deadly

medicines without anyone stopping them (The Role of the Pharmacist in the Healthcare

System).

The world is growing so there is more of a demand in health related professions, particularly in

pharmacy. Some pharmacists switch jobs overseas and some even volunteer simply to help those

in need. This expands their bridge from customers to many people across the globe.

Unfortunately there is sometimes a lack of recourses in developing countries, and thus requires

much more effort than originally planned. There are also people in the United States Who

struggle to pay for the drugs they need. Pharmacist Nancy Vantil says that although pharmacies

aren't a charity, they can point customers out to organizations and programs that help cover the

expenses of their drugs. There are even a few listed medications that pharmacists can give out for

free. Regardless pharmacists help customers by expanding the bridge to the unfortunate people

giving them a chance to become customers (Azhar).

Overall being a pharmacist is a very important job, they help customers in so many

different ways. They can help them by keeping people healthy, keeping them informed, creating

medicines, and assist the unfortunate in need. Most of the time they seem to go somewhat

unnoticed, so it should be appreciated all the hard work they do. Pharmacists not only help
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customers, with all this they give to people their customers become more than that. They become

friends, and just as any friend they wish to see them in their very best state of well being.
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Works Cited

Azhar, S., Hassali, M. A., Ibrahim, M. I., Ahmad, M., Masood, I., & Shafie, A. A. (2009, July

13). The role of pharmacists in developing countries: the current scenario in Pakistan.

Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

https://human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1478-4491-7-54

Coopman, R. (2017, March 13). Pharmacists as nutrition counselors. Retrieved March 30, 2017,

from go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_grandrapid

&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA486869602&it=r&asid=125911bd128df847b2d0a351165669ff

GRANBY PHARMACY (860)653-2517

http://www.granbypharmacy.com/uploads/7/5/4/7/7547647/

a_pharmacist_is_an_important_medical_worker_who_aids_physicians.pdf

Lam Kit, Personal Interview Pharmacists April 4, 2017

(n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2017, from

http://www.granbypharmacy.com/uploads/7/5/4/7/7547647/

a_pharmacist_is_an_important_medical_worker_who_aids_physicians.pdf

Pharmacy Chat | Walgreens. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

https://www.walgreens.com/pharmacy/pharmacy_chat_landing.jsp

Role of a Pharmacist. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

http://www.aacp.org/resources/student/pharmacyforyou/Pages/roleofapharmacist.aspx

Role of a Pharmacist. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

http://www.pharmcas.org/preparing-to-apply/about-pharmacy/role-of-a-pharmacist/
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The Role of the Pharmacist in the Health Care System: PART I: THE ROLE OF THE

PHARMACIST IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: 2.

Manpower imbalances in pharmacy. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2017, from

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Jh2995e/1.4.html

Vantil, Nancy Personal Interview Pharmacist April 4, 2017