I have to admit, I am a bit ignorant as to what a pharmacist does. Can someone sum up what the pharmacist does and what a typical day for a pharmacist is? Thanks

Typical day for a retail pharmacist:

36 Unhappy customers
43 Rejected claims
6 Pharm Tech mistakes
3 Printer jams
29 Refill-too-soons
54 Insurance claim issues
214 Minutes on the telephone

Also, if planning a career in pharmacy, memorize these sayings:

"This medication is non-forumulary."
"I don't know why the won't pay for it."
"Yes I am sure that this is what your doctor wrote for."
"I have no idea why your co-pay is $15.00."
"I can't refill this until next Tuesday."
"Most insurance companies won't reimburse for pills accidentaly dropped in the toilet."
"40mg? No, Doctor, they don't make a 40mg tablet. 50mg? Sure, ok."
"Hi, this is XYZ pharmacy. I need to talk to Dr. Tremor because I can't read what he wrote."
"Shoe laces? Isle 3."

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

this is SOOO true.

LOL, so true. You also start to answer the phone, simply, "pharmacist" instead of giving your name. When I worked in retail, I used to wish it were possible just to let my license stand there and fill prescriptions, so I could go home and do something more intellectually stimulating--like watching TV...:laugh:

"Thank you for calling the firey pits of hell, this is the pharmacist speaking. How can you make my day any worse?"
:D

Nobody has really explained what a pharmacist does though. From my limited knowledge of the field, I see them taking phonecalls and filling bottles with pills, putting them in a paperbag, stapling the bag shut, and waiting for a pickup. Is that pretty much it or is there more?

I should leave this to someone that has more knowledge about this, but since no has chimed in I'll give you my limited insight. I think what described is a large portion of retail pharm. If you enter the hospital setting there is more to it. They are involved in makeing-up certain IV's (what they are, I don't know), making certain meds, and now they are starting to go on rounds. There are certain meds that need to made fresh when they are needed. In these cases the pharm will get a call from ER and they need to quickly make up a certain medication. Some hospitals have the pharm check on patients and even follow around the doctor. I have heard of some cases where the doc goes into the room and diagnosis the patient and ask the pharm what they should get. Then the doc writes the Rx. I'm not saying this much co-managment is rampid all over the country, but it is popping up here and there. As pharm start to specialize in certain areas, a pharm may be very involved in the unit of the hospital where they have specialized knowledge.

Please someone correct anything I got wrong.