pharmacist

You work in chemist shops and pharmacy counters in community shops. Your job is to administer medications to patients based on their prescriptions. You also answer their questions about over-the-counter medication and explain their side effects. Sometimes, you provide primary care, like administering flu jabs.

You work in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Your job is to dispense medication and provide patient care. You may go on rounds with doctors and healthcare teams to recommend which drugs to administer to patients.

You conduct research on medicines and publish articles on new types of drugs for various illnesses and conditions. You also lecture trainee pharmacists and mentor them by supervising their practice.

Some of the tasks of a pharmacist include:

• Dispensing medicines: as a pharmacist, you receive prescriptions from doctors and administer medications to patients. You also dispense other drugs and advise patients on their prescriptions. For instance, you provide necessary information to help patients understand what their medications do and instructions for taking them properly.
• Working with physicians: when you work in a clinic or healthcare setting, you recommend medications to treat various conditions and discuss potential incompatibilities. You also supervise the administration and delivery times of drugs to improve patients' well-being. You review prescriptions from healthcare professionals and ensure there are no allergies or contraindications with other drugs the patient is taking.
• Maintaining inventory of the medications: when you work in a chemist shop or a pharmacy counter in a large shop, you maintain an inventory of the medicines. You record the medicines you dispense throughout the day and ensure the shelves are stocked with essential drugs.
• Advising patients on over-the-counter medications: you assist customers with minor ailments by helping them find the necessary OTC drugs. Sometimes, you assist with immunisations, like giving flu jabs and other vaccinations to patients.
• Completing paperwork: as a pharmacist, you complete the required paperwork after dispensing medications and keep track of refill frequencies to ensure patients don't abuse drugs. You also manage payments for prescriptions when necessary.
• Providing various health services: as a pharmacist, you offer health services such as diabetes testing, pressure monitoring and some vaccinations. You can also provide emergency medication and direct the patient to the nearest hospital.

Pharmacists spend a lot of time indoors working in hospitals, retail stores or chemist shops. In hospitals, you work alongside other health professionals and spend the day on your feet. When working at a chemist or pharmacy counter, you stand to serve customers but don't spend a long time on your feet. As a pharmacist, you wear a lab coat when serving customers and use gloves and masks when examining patients or administering treatments. When you work in community health centres, you work outdoors during outreach programmes. Since pharmacists are primary care health professionals, they provide medical services in person. If your pharmacy provides special services for the disabled or elderly, you offer home delivery services to ensure easier access to prescription medications.

Depending on where you work, you are likely to interact with various professionals. For instance, in a pharmacy, you are likely to work alongside retail managers and sales associates. In a hospital, you work with nurses, doctors and lab assistants. You also interact with pharmacist assistants, paediatricians and clinical scientists.

The work schedule of pharmacists depends on the employer. In hospitals, you are likely to work 8- to 12-hour shifts, similar to other healthcare professionals in full-time roles. However, unless it is a 24-hour chemist shop, pharmacists in retail stores and chemist shops tend to work regular business hours. Some employers also offer flexible working arrangements and part-time pharmacist positions.

Pharmacists have a structured career path, especially in hospitals. For instance, newly qualified pharmacists rotate various pharmaceutical roles, from community to clinical pharmacy or clinical trials. When you gain experience in rotational roles, you specialise in a preferred pharmacy practice, such as cardiology, paediatric care, or procurement and distribution. As your knowledge in the field advances, you progress to supervisory roles, and you could even end up running a hospital. Some pharmacists become researchers or consultants, while others become lecturers after gaining years of experience and expertise.

Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.

• always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help
• a range of jobs in your area

To work as a pharmacist in Greece, you require a licence to practise. Start with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from a recognised institution. When you complete the five-year undergraduate programme, which includes four years of theory and laboratory practice and one year of full-time practice, take the requisite test to get your pharmacist licence.

As a pharmacist, your job is to refill prescriptions and provide OTC medicines to help patients manage their illnesses and conditions. You also maintain inventory to ensure the pharmacy has adequate medications for various conditions.

As a pharmacist, you earn an average salary of €47,000 per year. Your earnings depend on your work experience and professional qualifications. In an entry-level position, you start with a lower salary of €32,000 yearly. With experience and additional qualifications, you can take home over €59,000 annually.

Becoming a pharmacist is a promising career in Greece, with ample opportunities for growth and personal development. You can build your skills and expand your experience to prepare you for senior roles in hospitals.

As a pharmacist, you require critical thinking skills to analyse the symptoms of a patient before recommending medication. Your technical knowledge of computer systems is also useful for keeping track of medication inventory. Since you work directly with patients, you need compassion and customer service skills to attend to their needs.

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