All Pharmacists do is count pills, right?

Unfortunately sometimes yes.  But usually no.

I've been asked many times by friends, friends of friends, and non-friends exactly what pharmacists do.  The definition of the pharmacist is ever evolving, and what a pharmacist was 20 years ago is not at all what a pharmacist is today.  Probably as soon as I post this, it will be dated.

This will be very simplified.  There are many different types of pharmacists out there, so that makes it difficult to be very specific.  Yes, your local big-chain pharmacist.  But also your independents, hospital, nuclear, ambulatory, and many many different clinical pharmacists.

My perspective of the role of the pharmacist is as a "drug specialist."  While physicians look at overall care, and nurses (in perspective of the drug world) are "administration & care specialists", the pharmacist focuses on each drug and the nuances of each to optimize care for the patient.  A pharmacist can be there as a reference, or to catch anything (major interactions, therapeutic duplications, or even a missing therapy) before it slips through to the patient.

Another major role of the pharmacist (in the retail setting or hospitals) is being the last line of defense before a patient receives some medication.  At this point in care, there are many situations that can be avoided/fixed because the pharmacist caught them.
 -- "Mr. Smith, I notice your doctor gave you refills of your new medication at this lower strength.  This strength is good to start at to minimize side effects; however, this is not a therapeutic strength and it may be best for you to be at an increased dose after this fill.  I will contact your physician."
--"Ms. Jones, this antibiotic is to be taken once daily.  A lot of people take all of their medications in the morning with breakfast along with their vitamins and other prescriptions.  This antibiotic gets bound by calcium and some other minerals, so it's best to avoid taking this with dairy products or with your daily vitamin."
--"Mr. Man, your new prescription for prilosec interacts with and keeps your Plavix from becoming activated, which is very important for your cardiovascular health.  Before I fill this, I'm going to have to contact your physician to figure out an alternative."


Basically, a pharmacist is there to help better serve you, the patient, by keeping you informed, receiving the best medical care possible, and keeping you safe.  Pharmacists don't go to school 4 years beyond undergrad to count pills, but to serve patients the best they can.

Your pharmacist is there for you,  your health, and your safety.  And fortunately, there's a pharmacist around nearly every corner to answer any question you may have!