healthcare careers

Say the word "pharmacist," and most people think of a retail pharmacist who prepares prescriptions at the local drugstore. But as healthcare becomes more complex and the drug formulary continues to expand, pharmacists are taking on new roles.

Specialty Focus

"Outcomes are better when pharmacists are active members of the healthcare team," says Thomas Lackner, a board certified geriatric pharmacist and University of Minnesota professor, who practices and does research in subacute care at Walker Methodist Health Care Center in Minneapolis.

Like Lackner, many pharmacists are choosing to focus on specialties such as psychiatry, pediatrics, oncology or infectious disease. And like their colleagues in medicine, nursing and allied health, they practice in a variety of settings including clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and home health.

A Team Approach

In Walker Methodist's transitional care unit, Lackner works together with a physician, a nurse practitioner and a dentist - all geriatric specialists. Their elderly patients have recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital, but are still too sick to go home. "They are typically `complex,'" Lackner says. "We continue managing their acute illnesses and address other health problems so they can complete rehabilitation and return home."

Lackner's primary role is to manage the patients' medication therapy. Since older people respond to drugs differently than younger people, it means ensuring that both the drug and the dose are appropriate. It also means trying to minimize drug interactions, a common problem among older people who take multiple medications for different chronic diseases.

Certification And Outlook

To become board certified in a specialty, a pharmacist must hold a current license, have two to four years experience - depending on the specialty - and pass a national exam.

Lackner believes that the need for pharmacy specialists will grow in the years ahead. This is especially true in geriatrics because an increase in the aging population means that more medication will be prescribed to treat chronic diseases.