Prescription for success: there's more to a pharmacist's job than counting pills

Career World, April-May, 2008 by Carole Moore

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When Catherine Newkirk was a girl in rural North Carolina, her father sustained a serious cut on his foot. The young Newkirk expected her dad to go to the doctor. Unable to afford the doctor's fee, her father instead sought advice from his local pharmacist. The pharmacist told him how to clean the wound and to treat it by alternating a mixture of a mild, over-the-counter antibiotic and turpentine.

"I couldn't understand how that would work--but it did!" Newkirk says.

Newkirk never forgot the help their community pharmacist provided. She says seeing how much the pharmacist helped the people he worked with influenced her to become a pharmacist herself. Today, two of her four children are in college, planning to follow their mother's career footsteps.

Pharmacists work in many different settings. Newkirk's job in a drugstore is the most familiar one. She mixes and dispenses medications and makes sure people understand how to take them properly. Other pharmacists conduct research, work in clinical settings like hospitals, consult for insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, and attend to homebound patients.

Career World spoke with Newkirk, of Wallace, N.C., about her career as a pharmacist and what it takes to do the job.

Career World: Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?

Catherine Newkirk: I grew up in an area that was mostly [poor]. I saw how my neighborhood pharmacy helped people and knew that was what I wanted to do. I didn't hear about the profession from my school counselors or teachers or anyone at school. I wish more schools would talk to kids about a pharmaceutical career.

CW: What kind of education does a pharmacist need?

CN: I worked my way through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The program was five years, but now universities offer a degree known as Pharm.D., a six-year doctoral program for pharmacists. A lot of pharmacists have gone back to school to obtain their doctorates.

CW: What can someone who holds a doctorate in pharmacy do that another pharmacist cannot?

CN: They can work with mini-clinics, like the ones that are starting up in a lot of drugstores, staffed by nurses and pharmacists. They treat things like strep throat and other minor illnesses. Instead of having to go to the doctor's office for small things, people can get the results right away.... Serious problems are referred to a physician.

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CW: What is an aspect of your job people might not know about?

CN: Pharmacists also can be certified immunizers [people who give shots]. This helps prevent thousands from dying of flu or meningococcal viruses and is especially important when working with the indigent population. We really make a big, big difference in the immunization rate because [retail pharmacists are] in the best position to offer things like flu clinics.

CW: Do you worry about making mistakes?

CN. Sure. We're all human and not faultless. It's something we're concerned about every day. But sometimes we also catch mistakes others have made [when prescribing drugs], like drug interactions. We have a quality assurance program we use, and we double-check everything.

CW: How do you keep up with all the new drugs on the market?

CN: I read the package inserts and pay attention to the details. Plus, there are clues in the names of drugs that give us an idea of their usage. [Editor's note: Drug names often indicate their classification. For instance, certain types of drugs used to treat arthritis are known as COX-2 inhibitors and may have the suffix coxib at the ends of their names.

CW: What about the hours? Are they long?

CN: They differ by job, but you have a choice of what type of pharmacist you want to be. I chose retail, which has some of the longest hours in the industry. Most stores have two [pharmacists], some three. For instance, I work two 12-hour days and then am off two days. It's hard sometimes, but I love what I do. Others have different arrangements, and pharmacists who work in consulting may have regular office hours.

CW: Where else do pharmacists work?

CN: Pharmacists work in retail [drugstores] and in hospitals and clinics. They also do consulting in places like nursing homes, where they review charts and make recommendations, and work with insurance companies. Some positions require them to spend all day talking to customers and professionals such as doctors.

CW: What's the best part of your job?

CN: Without a doubt, it's the people--seeing patients and counseling them on the proper use of medications and what to expect. I love the [interpersonal] interactions.

CW: What's challenging about your job?

CN: Speaking on the retail side of pharmacy, it is managing those who work for you. Sometimes it's hard to find qualified people who want to work.

CW: Any advice for new pharmacists?

CN. It's a great career with many rewards, but it's also hard work, and you really have to pay close attention to what you are doing. Even with the hours, I highly recommend it and don't regret my choice for a minute.