Pharmacists dispense medications prescribed by physicians, dentists, and other authorized medical practitioners. They have special knowledge about the use, composition, therapeutic and adverse effects of medications, as well as the laws that regulate the making and selling of drugs.

Pharmacists also review patient's medications for interactions with other drugs, food and diseases to help ensure the optimal medication regimen with minimal complications or side-effects.

Most pharmacists work in community pharmacies, where they sell medical and sickroom supplies, meet with pharmaceutical sales representatives, consult with and counsel their customers on the use of prescribed and over-the-counter medications, keep abreast of new developments in the health care field, and combine professional and business skills to manage the pharmacy.

Others are employed by pharmaceutical manufacturers for sales, marketing, research, and product development.

Yet others are work in hospitals, clinics, home health care agencies, and nursing homes dispensing medications, making sterile solutions or special intravenous mixtures, advising the medical and nursing staffs about new drugs, monitoring patients' drug therapies, and maintaining a drug information library. Pharmacists in government agencies may inspect drug manufacturing laboratories or community pharmacies, participate in enforcing the legal use of medications, and maintain the purity of cosmetics, drugs, and foods. Worldwide, pharmacists provide critical medical knowledge, along with complete and constant attention to accuracy and detail in providing safe and effective medication therapy.

Areas of Specialization
In addition to community and hospital pharmacy practices, pharmacists may specialize in nuclear pharmacy (controlling the use of radioactive drugs used for patient diagnosis and therapy), consultant pharmacy (providing information on pharmacy systems and services to institutions--primarily nursing homes), and as clinical pharmacy specialists (providing consultation to physicians on the therapeutic use of medications in specialized areas of practice such as psychiatry, ambulatory care, cardiology, pediatrics, critical care, neurology, etc.). Additional areas of pharmacy practice include the military, Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Public Health Service, Health Maintenance Organizations, and academia. Pharmaceutical research is a career avenue for pharmacists with advanced degrees in pharmaceutical sciences. Pharmacists who obtain a master's in business administration degree may pursue career opportunities in management within institutional pharmacy practice, governmental agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry. They can also pursue combined Doctor of Pharmacy degrees with Master of Public Health or Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Work Environment
Pharmacists work in community pharmacies (independently owned or chain pharmacies), pharmaceutical industry, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health care operations, managed care agencies, government agencies, pharmaceutical organizations, universities, and research centers. Most pharmacists work about 43 hours per week. However, they may work longer hours when emergencies arise.

Job Outlook
The number of pharmacists employed in Florida in 2006 was 16,065. It is projected that in 2014 there will be 19,938. This represents an annual average growth rate of 3.0 percent.