<p>Things a retail pharmacist does that you might not know about: #1 doctors regularly consult with pharmacists about how to start someone on a medication, when to increase the dose, when to take a blood level and/or monitoring lab, how to take someone off of a medication etc… #2 pharmacists regularly call your doctor to clarify a dose (the regular dose is 1 mg do you really want 100mg?), to inform your dermatologist that the medication you just wrote for is going to cause the heart medication you are on to increase to a toxic level, or to suggest an alternative medication because the medication they wrote for is very expensive and not covered on your insurance. #3 a pharmacist will counsel you on the proper way to take your medication, whether to take it with or without food, what to do if you miss a dose and tell you whether or not a symptom you are having is a side effect of one of the medications you are taking. They will make suggestions for over-the-counter medications, explain the proper way to use an inhaler, a nebulizer, how to test your blood glucose, how to properly use a pregnancy test, how to use a blood pressure monitor, and even sometimes give immunizations. ANd that is just a retail pharmacist. A hospital pharmacist will dose certain drugs that have a narrow therapeutic range, such as vancomycin and aminoglycosides. They are often involved in pain control management, total parenteral nutrition, anticoagulation chemotherapy. Pharmacists are often responsible for multiple reports including drug utilization reviews and adverse drug reaction reports. A good pharmacist is able to communicate with other health care professionals in a very technical way and then turn around and be able to explain things to the patient in a way that they can understand.</p>