A pharmacist, also known as a chemist or a druggist, is a healthcare professional who deals with the preparation, properties, effects, use and distribution of medications. The pharmacist provides pharmaceutical advices to the community and primary health services, with the aim of preventing and promoting Public Health. They also serve as primary care providers in the community. Pharmacists undergo university or graduate-level education to understand the biochemical mechanisms and actions of drugs, drug uses, therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters. This is mated to anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Pharmacists interpret and communicate this specialized knowledge to patients, physicians, and other health care providers.
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links health sciences with pharmaceutical sciences and natural sciences. The professional practice is becoming more clinically oriented as most of the drugs are now manufactured by pharmaceutical industries. Based on the setting, pharmacy practice is either classified as community or institutional pharmacy. Providing direct patient care in the community of institutional pharmacies is considered clinical pharmacy.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) existed from its founding as the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 1841 until 2010. The word "Royal" was added to its name in 1988. It was the statutory regulatory and professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in England, Scotland and Wales. In September 2010, the regulatory powers of the Society were transferred to the newly formed General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The RPSGB became the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) at that time and retained its professional leadership role; the "Great Britain" part of the name was dropped for day-to-day purposes.
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a doctoral degree to practice the profession of pharmacy or to become a clinical pharmacist. In many countries they are allowed to practice independently and can prescribe drugs directly to patients. A PhD program has significant experiential or clinical education components in introductory and advanced levels for the safe and effective use of drugs. Experiential education prepares graduates to be practice-ready, as they already have spent a significant amount of time training in areas of direct patient care and research.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is a professional organisation of Australian pharmacists. PSA is the peak national body for pharmacists, representing all of the pharmacy profession in Australia, with approximately 18,000 members. PSA is the major provider of continuing professional development programmes for pharmacists in Australia. PSA also organises various pharmacy events including a national conference attended by over 1,200 delegates from around Australia and internationally. PSA publishes the Australian Pharmaceutical Formulary, the Australian Pharmacist journal, and various other pharmacy publications.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation or Fédération Internationale Pharmaceutique, abbreviated as FIP, is an international federation of national organizations that represent pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. It was founded in 1912 and is based in The Hague in the Netherlands.
A hospital pharmacy is a department within a hospital that prepares, compounds, stocks and dispenses inpatient medications. Hospital pharmacies usually stock a larger range of medications, including more specialized and investigational medications, than would be feasible in the community setting. Hospital pharmacies may also dispense over-the-counter and prescription medications to outpatients.
Pharmacy residency is education a pharmacist can pursue beyond the degree required for licensing as a pharmacist. A pharmacy residency program allows for the implementation of skill set and knowledge acquired in pharmacy school through interaction with the public either in a hospital setting or community practice. The program is done over a span of about 2yrs after graduation from pharmacy school and licensure as a pharmacist. Pharmacy residency helps improve the resume of a pharmacist so as to increase chances of obtaining employment outside community practice. A 2022 review suggested that there is sufficient evidence that residency develops key competencies for junior pharmacists.
The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is often an undergraduate or postgraduate pharmacy degree from a recognized university. In many countries, this involves a four- or five-year course to attain a bachelor of pharmacy or master of pharmacy degree.
The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy is a pharmacy school and an academic division of the University of Toronto. The faculty is located on the northwestern corner of College Street and University Avenue, placing it across from the Ontario Legislative Building and at the entrance to Queen's Park station. It is also situated 1–2 blocks away from four internationally renowned hospitals—The Hospital for Sick Children, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto General Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital. It is part of Toronto's Discovery District.
The Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council (APAC), active between 1996 and 2006, was "a consultative forum that brought together stakeholders from the medical, nursing and pharmacy professions, as well as industry, consumers and government, to advise the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing on medicines policy". In 1996 APAC contributed to the Industry Commission inquiry into the pharmaceutical industry. Over subsequent years the Council developed Australia's National Medicines Policy (NMP), and published several guidelines on medication management. Secretariat support for APAC was provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing - National Medicines Policy Strategies Section.
Fred J. Boyd was an Australian pharmacist, qualified accountant and Radiographer, and the founding president of The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia.
Edward (Nikk) Joseph Phelan is a notable figure in the profession of pharmacy in Australia, highlighted by his winning The Evans Medal For Merit in 1969 for outstanding contribution to the practice of hospital pharmacy.
Mr. P. Lance Jeffs was an Australian pharmacist who won The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia Glaxo Medal of Merit in 1965. Mr Jeffs was a registered pharmaceutical chemist (Ph.C) and fellow of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. At the time of his award, Mr Jeffs was the federal president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia and the Chief Pharmacist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in South Australia. He later held the position of Chief Pharmacist at Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1968 for three years.
S.W. ('Bill') Hayes is an Australian pharmacist who won the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia Glaxo Medal of Merit in 1965. Hayes is also a Fellow of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia and a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. At the time of the award, Hayes was the Chief Pharmacist at Geelong Hospital in Victoria and Vice President of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. He was also involved with the Society of Hospital Pharmacists at a state level for many years, including terms as Chairman of the Victorian branch.
Mavis Grace Sweeney was an Australian hospital pharmacist who was awarded the Evans Medal for Merit in 1968. The Evans Medal of Merit recognised outstanding contributions to the profession of pharmacy.
Charles B Macgibbon played an important role in developing the hospital pharmacy profession in Australia. He was the Chief Pharmacist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1938. At this time there were only 36 hospital pharmacists in the Victorian hospital system and there was virtually no collaboration between them. Charles realised that by joining together, hospital pharmacists in Victoria could strengthen the profession and contribute to better quality pharmacy services. Charles and Fred J. Boyd actively worked to create a society for hospital pharmacists. In 1941 he became the founding president of the Society of Hospital Pharmaceutical Chemists which was the forerunner to The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. During Charles' time as president of the Society, he advocated strongly to ensure hospital appointed pharmacists and that patients had access to safe medicines.
Neil Wighton Naismith, PhC MPS FSHP AM, was an Australian pharmacist whose career in hospital pharmacy commenced in 1960. He served as Director of Pharmacy at The Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1967–1997.
The Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA). The journal covers the field of pharmacy and includes "focus sections" on geriatric therapeutics and primary care. As the official publication of SHPA, the journal also publishes editorial discussion relating to pharmacy practice, book reviews, and recurring review sections focusing on medication safety and recent research in clinical pharmacy from around the world. The editor-in-chief is Chris Alderman.
Geraldine Michelle Moses, is an Australian doctor of clinical pharmacy, a consultant pharmacist, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Queensland. She is a Senior Clinical Pharmacist at Mater Pharmacy Services in Brisbane.
