pharmacist

a person licensed to prepare, compound, and dispense drugs upon written order (prescription) from a licensed practitioner such as a physician, dentist, or advanced practice nurse. A pharmacist is a health care professional who cooperates with, consults with, and sometimes advises the licensed practitioner concerning drugs.

For a licensed pharmacist, five years of education is a minimum, and some curricula require six years. This gives the pharmacist advanced knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of drugs and their available dosage forms, and he or she is thus qualified to play a key role in supplying information about drugs (both prescription and over-the-counter) to patients—those to whom such information is most important. Since the pharmacist may be the last health care professional to communicate with the patient or a significant other before the medication is taken, he or she is therefore in an ideal position to discuss the drug with those concerned. The discussion may include any side effects associated with the drug, its stability under various conditions, its toxicity, its dosage, and its route of administration, all of which may be reassuring to the patient and be of benefit in helping insure patient compliance with the drug regimen.