High Demand Occupations: 3131 Pharmacists

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 community and hospital 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.

Community pharmacists and hospital pharmacists perform some or all of the following duties:

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
May supervise and co-ordinate the activities of other pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians and other staff.

Industrial pharmacists perform some or all of the following duties:

Participate in basic research for the development of new drugs
Formulate new drug products developed by medical researchers
Test new drug products for stability and to determine their absorption and elimination patterns
Co-ordinate 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.

Pharmacists also require practical training under the supervision of a pharmacist.

Licensure is required in all provinces and territories for community and hospital pharmacists.

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