Last Updated By Harleen Kaur on 23 Feb, 2022
Clinical Pharmacy is a branch of Health Sciences that deals with optimising medication therapy, providing patient care, promoting disease prevention and health. A professional in this field is called a Clinical Pharmacists. These professionals work in clinics, hospitals and other healthcare settings. Unlike other Pharmacists, more than dispensing prescriptions, Clinical Pharmacists are more involved in direct patient care. Their work may let them go on rounds in hospitals with a healthcare team or physicians. They conduct medicals tests, recommend medications, oversee the timing and dosage, and offer advice to their patients.
If you wish to pursue a career as a Clinical Pharmacist, you must meet the eligibility criteria the field demands. To become a Clinical Pharmacist, you must have proper educational qualifications, as well as training and licencing. Here are the criteria that you must make sure to meet before stepping into this field.
Provided below are the educational requirements to become a Clinical Pharmacist:
Check out the training requirements to become a Clinical Pharmacist:
Given below are the key skills required to become a Clinical Pharmacist:
As a Clinical Pharmacist, you can explore career options in:
Hospitals
Clinics
Laboratories
Drug Research and Development
Retail Sector
Pharmaceutical Companies
Healthcare Centres
Educational Institutes
Medical Underwriting
The responsibilities of a Clinical Pharmacists include:
Prescribing medication
Recommending necessary over-the-counter drugs
Evaluating the unique needs of patients
Observing their patient's recovery
Ensuring that the drug is working properly
Making changes in case of any severe side effects or unexpected drug interactions
Counselling patients on the use of medication along with healthy food choices
Monitoring patients
The salary of a Clinical Pharmacist in India depends on various factors. Your work experience, employer and geographic location are some of them. You can check out the table below to know the same.
Salary Level | Initial Salary | Mid-Level Salary | Highest Salary |
Annual Salary | INR 1,20,000 | INR 3,50,000 | INR 10,00,00 |
NOTE: The figures mentioned in the table are courtesy of Payscale and are subject to change.
Some recommendations for Clinical Pharmacy prep books are mentioned below:
Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.
Some of the roles and responsibilities of clinical pharmacists are as follows:
The process of applying the knowledge and skills of the pharmacist to improve the health of the people is called Pharmacy Practice. It includes hospital, clinical, and community pharmacy.
An effective tip to be a better clinical pharmacist is to be proactive and able to problem-solve. The important skill of identifying a therapeutic issue concerning an individual patient/person, communicating that issue to the prescriber in a time, and providing well-informed recommendations is the main purpose of the clinical pharmacist.
The other term used for Clinical Pharmacists is Ambulatory care pharmacy (BCACP) Critical care pharmacy (BCCCP) Nuclear pharmacy (BCNP)
The main difference between Pharmacists and Clinical Pharmacists is that Pharmacists are drug experts whereas Clinical pharmacists take this knowledge and apply it to clinical scenarios. Another Difference is that Clinical pharmacists perform functions beyond fundamental dispensing this particularly involves optimization of medication selection, dosing, and monitoring.
Yes, Clinical pharmacists may be able to prescribe your drugs/medicines in the same way as your doctor does. The role of a Clinical pharmacist is to work together with pharmacists in other domains of the healthcare system such as the hospital or community pharmacy. A clinical pharmacist does not give you your drugs/medicines.