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Dear Mayo Clinic: I’m sure pharmacists are busy, but what do they do? No one likes to wait for a prescription, especially if you’re not feeling well. When you see a pharmacist on the news, you see them counting pills. When I get prescriptions filled, I see the pharmacist looking at a computer.

What training do pharmacists have? And what do they do?

A: I’m glad you asked. Being a pharmacist is more complicated than it might look.

Pharmacists are quite educated, and they must be. Diseases and the medications used to treat them are complex. As therapies have become more advanced, so has pharmacist training.

Pharmacists have a minimum of five to six years of college, and some have eight years or more, plus one or two years of residency where they receive more training — just like physicians.

The final degree a pharmacist earns is called a doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). After earning their advanced degree, graduates must earn a license by passing national and state board exams to become a registered pharmacist.

To apply for pharmacy school, students must take the same basic undergraduate college courses as medical doctors, veterinarians and dentists, including calculus, chemistry, biology, physics and other courses.

After these prerequisites are successfully passed with good grades, pharmacists take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), like the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) physicians take.

Pharmacy school is typically a three- or four-year program. Classes include infectious diseases, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiovascular and pulmonary systems and more.

In most states, pharmacists also must take many hours of continuing education yearly to maintain their licenses and specialty certifications.

So, what is the pharmacist doing on the computer? The pharmacist must verify the prescription is formatted correctly and legally signed by the medical professional.

The pharmacist must verify the prescription is appropriate for the patient and has proper directions. Pharmacists run drug interaction reports, review allergies and duration of therapy and screen for side effects.

There to help

Pharmacists are available to counsel patients on how to take the medication, side effects and drug interactions.

Then pharmacists must dispense the amount the patient’s insurance allows. If the insurance does not pay for the prescribed medication, the pharmacist must contact the healthcare professional to change the drug or the amount.

If the medication must be changed, sometimes research must be done to find a preferred medication that will be paid for by the patient’s insurance.

Pharmacists do this while you wait because insurance will not guarantee payment to a pharmacy in the future, only on claims made in real time. This can extend the time it takes to fill a prescription.

Some pharmacists also administer immunizations, such as the flu shot and shingles shot.

In the case of patients receiving solid organ transplants, such as a kidney or heart transplant, pharmacist participation in direct patient care is required by the government. This is because the medical literature has shown when a pharmacist is directly involved in the care of patients, medical outcomes for patients are improved and healthcare costs are saved.

How to save time

Patients can help streamline the process of filling prescriptions:

• If you get a new insurance card, bring it to the pharmacy so your information can be updated.
• Provide your pharmacy with updated allergies, drug intolerances and medication changes so they can document it in your chart.
• If your healthcare professional sends a prescription to your pharmacy electronically, give the pharmacy some time to fill it. Consider checking your online patient portal or calling the pharmacy to ensure the prescription is ready before you go to get it.

Talk to your pharmacist if you have any questions about your medications. They are here to help.

—Michael Schuh, Pharm.D., Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida

Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. This Mayo Clinic Q&A represents inquiries this healthcare expert has received from patients. For more information, visit mayoclinic.org.

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