Critical Care Pharmacist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewCritical care pharmacists work very closely with patients, doctors and medical staff on critical care wards and units of hospitals. These pharmacists make the rounds with the medical treatment team to work with the group to prescribe the most effective and best possible drug combinations to help the patient in recovery. Often the critical care pharmacist is literally prescribing immediate life saving medications.
In addition to prescribing medications in consultation with the treatment and recovery team the critical care pharmacist is responsible for monitoring and negative or adverse reactions the medication or combinations of medication may be having on the patient in the critical care unit. Often these patients are not able to speak or communicate effectively with the team so the critical care pharmacist must be aware of the signs and symptoms of both positive and negative interactions of drugs or medications.
The critical care pharmacist works directly on the intensive or critical care unit with the staff. They are often responsible for charting and monitoring the administration of the medications and may need to provide in-service training to medical staff on specific or new drugs or drug treatment therapies.
The critical care pharmacist must be able to make informed and accurate decisions, often in life and death situations. He or she should have effective communication skills and should enjoy working in a team atmosphere. Excellent knowledge of both medicines and drug interactions and reactions is very important to a critical care pharmacist. Calm and professional mannerisms and an ability to work directly with patients and their families is also a large component of the job.
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Career RequirementsThe critical care pharmacist should have basic medical experience working on critical care and intensive care units. This is usually obtained after the critical care pharmacist has received their Pharm-D and completes a one or two year residency program.
In addition the critical care pharmacist must pass the North American Pharmacists Licensure Exam and the Multistate Pharmacists Jurisprudence Exam if applicable in the state the critical care pharmacist is working in. Licensing for pharmacists varies from state to state but licensing is required in all states for pharmacists.
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Job OutlookThe demand for critical care pharmacists continues to grow as more medications and drug therapies are available to help in critical and intensive care procedures. The additional residency requirements may make positions for critical care pharmacists more in demand that other pharmacy careers.
The United States Department of Labor predicts that there will be a higher than average demand for pharmacists until the year 2014 with significantly more positions offered that individuals qualified.
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Career TrackAn experienced critical care pharmacist may move into management or a supervisory role within larger hospital critical or intensive care units. He or she may also decide to move into a hospital pharmacy role or to work as a community pharmacist.
Some critical care pharmacists will be required to return to schools of pharmacy to help train new students in pharmacy. The demand for educators in pharmacy schools is very high and there are many incentives offered to return to these schools as instructors.
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CompensationA critical care pharmacist can expect to earn between $85,000 and $100,000 per year, with the top 10% earning over $110,000 per year. The size of the hospital, level of experience and supervisory duties will lead to increases in yearly salaries in these positions.
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