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what is the most challenging part about being a pharmacist?

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Scott’s Answer

This is an intriguing question and somewhat hard to answer as it is very broad. I would say that one of the most challenging things is being ready for a very extensive learning process to prepare yourself to be ready for your patients. You will be tested and learning your entire career as pharmacy is a critical part of the healthcare process for patients. Preparing yourself with a vast knowledge and knowing how to research a patients profile and provide quality and safe healthcare to your patients is ongoing.

Every patient is different and has different requirements to maintain their health and the pharmacist is the most accessible health care provider to support their journey.


Scott recommends the following next steps:

Ensure you focus on your prerequisite classes to prepare you for the pharmacy curriculum during the professional years.
Find a local pharmacist to "interview" and shadow as available.
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Dinah’s Answer

I think the most difficult thing in pharmacy is communication, especially in retail pharmacy. There are so many patients coming in every day to pick new medication and on every new medication the pharmacist has to counsel on what the drug is for, the dosage, how to take it, and side effects the patient might experience. You may experience a patient be very rude and get loud with you and it isn't personal. You need to be able to communicate effectively with the patient so they are able to calm down and actually listen to what you have to say, which important information can save a life. Another important but difficult thing is making medical decisions right away because a medication might do more good then bad. That is why you go to pharmacy school because you need to use those skills in the pharmacy and on a daily basis. Sometimes patients want the medication and don't really care what you have to say because there doctor is right, which is not always the case.
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Krystyna’s Answer

There are so many career paths you can pursue as a pharmacist, and they all present different difficulties! Definitely focus on getting some experience with patients, and shadowing a pharmacist if you can - being able to communicate with a variety of people (patients, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, doctors, etc.) is EXTREMELY valuable. Throughout pharmacy school we practice and experience a variety of settings to ensure we are able to communicate what is needed so that patients receive accurate, safe, medically necessary care. This was one of the most difficult things for me in the beginning. Also, ensuring a work-life balance can be difficult. Luckily, pharmacy is a career where a lot of options allow for this balance, it just may be difficult to find that balance in the beginning.
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EJ’s Answer

Good question, Michelle. I agree with Krystyna. I think most challenging part of being a pharmacist is communicating with other people. More people are using medications and many new medications are available everyday. Not only you need to have good understanding of current medications and treatment, you also have to deliver your knowledge to different people.You need to help people to understand or make a right decision for their medical treatment depends on your practice setting. This could be discussing with a doctor about changing his decision on treatment or helping patients to understand new medication he/she just started.
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