According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. | 98% |
| Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications. | 94% |
| Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage. | 93% |
| Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions. | 88% |
| Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs. | 87% |
| Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics. | 85% |
| Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal. | 84% |
| Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly. | 84% |
| Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities. | 82% |
| Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues. | 81% |
| Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy. | 80% |
| Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies. | 79% |
| Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases. | 79% |
| Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise. | 77% |
| Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes. | 76% |
| Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure. | 75% |
| Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors. | 74% |
| Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. | 73% |
| Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate. | 68% |
| Assay radiopharmaceuticals, verify rates of disintegration, and calculate the volume required to produce the desired results, to ensure proper dosages. | 61% |
| Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients. | 56% |
