Free Online Course Materials | Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Pharmacist. Pharmacists (North American English), also known as chemists (Commonwealth English) or druggists (both North American and Commonwealth English), are healthcare professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use. The role of the pharmacist has shifted from the classical "lick, stick, and pour" dispensary role (that is, "lick & stick the labels, count the pills & pour liquids"), to being an integrated member of the health care team directly involved in patient care.[1][2] Pharmacists undergo university-level education to understand biochemical mechanisms of action of drugs, drug uses, and therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters. This is mated to anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology.
Pharmacists interpret and communicate this specialized knowledge to patients, physicians, and other health care providers. Nature of the work[edit] Education and credentialing[edit] Australia[edit] Medical Careers Guide. Internal Medicine Jobs. Written by Studentdoc Editor Internal medicine jobs are probably the ones most familiar to the average person. Internists usually work with a patient from adolescence and throughout the rest of his or her life. As a result, these doctors must be trained in recognizing and treating a wide range of problems.
However, there is also room for specializing in these internal medicine jobs. Internal Medicine Jobs: Nephrology One of these specialized internal medicine jobs is nephrologist. Nephrologists must complete a three year general medicine residence, plus another one to three years of study in nephrology. Internal Medicine Jobs: Infectious Disease Specialists Infectious disease specialists are becoming more and more in demand because there are a wide variety of jobs opportunities for those in the field. Infectious disease specialists need two years of additional training after completing their general medicine residency. Internal Medicine Jobs: General Medicine Resources. Nuclear medicine. Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. In nuclear medicine procedures, radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals.
These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs or cellular receptors. This property of radiopharmaceuticals allows nuclear medicine the ability to image the extent of a disease process in the body, based on the cellular function and physiology, rather than relying on physical changes in the tissue anatomy. In some diseases, nuclear medicine studies can identify medical problems at an earlier stage than other diagnostic tests.
Treatment of diseased tissue, based on metabolism or uptake or binding of a particular ligand, may also be accomplished, similar to other areas of pharmacology. Diagnostic medical imaging[edit]