On January 20, the day of the Pharmacist is celebrated! This professional who ends up being often overshadowed behind a counter in pharmacies and drugstores is, in fact, a hell of a super hero! Do you want to know why?
Its functions for the health of the community go far beyond the dispensation of medicines! In fact, the pharmaceutical area is very extensive and, in Brazil, professionals can carry out more than 60 activities.
Contents
Activities that the pharmacist can perform
Research and development of new drugs
The search for new drugs never ends, because there are always new diseases that need new cures. The pharmacist, knowledgeable in areas such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, is extremely necessary within this context.
Along with biomedical, biologists and other health research professionals, pharmacists can assist in the discovery of new diseases, their causes, new active ingredients and even new pharmaceutical forms!
Consumer aid
It is not uncommon for the patient to leave the doctor’s office with some doubts. Although this is contraindicated, it is a frequent reality even today.
What few people know is that no one is alone: the pharmacist can help you!
He is a health professional instructed to understand everything about drugs, their mechanisms of action, how they can help each patient, what are the contraindications, side effects and even possible drug interactions.
Pharmaceutical prescription
The self-medication is a recurring problem that can bring many risks, including poisoning by misuse. This is because many people do not want to go to the doctor for “little something”, such as a rhinitis crisis , and they use medications that are not prescribed on their own.
However, there is a safe way to use these drugs without necessarily visiting the doctor. The pharmacy professional is qualified to indicate and prescribe medications without medical prescription.
This process is called a pharmaceutical prescription and is little known by people, who insist on medication without the help of a health professional.
In this context, the pharmacist is able to take all the doubts from the patient and assist him in the correct use of the medication, avoiding further complications. It can also be consulted in case of undesirable side effects.
Handling pharmacies
When a drug is not found in the dose most suitable for a patient, he must acquire the recommended dose through the pharmacies of manipulation.
There, pharmacists are dedicated to creating the medicines in the right dose, strictly following all the rules for the manufacture of medicines, in order to deliver a quality product that is in accordance with the rules of the Health Surveillance.
Anyone who thinks that homeopathic medicines are only produced in this type of pharmacy is wrong. Although they are highly requested for this reason, in this type of pharmacy it is also common to manufacture common everyday medicines.
Aid in hospitals
Because they are places full of medicines, hospitals must have pharmacists.
There, they help doctors and nurses to obtain and correctly administer the medications of each patient, in addition to maintaining control of the dispensing of used medications.
Application of vaccines
Pharmacists are also trained in the application of vaccines. Although there are some vaccines that require hospital application, there is a wide range of vaccines that can be applied quickly at the pharmacy itself.
These professionals understand the methods and routes of application, in addition to having a good basis in understanding human anatomy, always taking care to avoid complications.
Examinations
Some basic tests, such as blood pressure and blood glucose measurements, can be applied by pharmacists.
Acupuncture
You didn’t expect that, did you? Well, pharmacists can work with acupuncture, an ancient Chinese technique that consists of applying pressure, through fine needles, to certain points of the body.
Supervision
To ensure that pharmacies and hospitals are complying with Health Surveillance rules, pharmacists can also act as supervisors at these establishments.
Did you see how pharmacists are, in fact, super-pharmacists ?! Without them, we would certainly live in a much less healthy world. So, celebrate that day and don’t be afraid to go to the pharmacist the next time you need it!
