What will you contribute to pharmacy

How would you prioritize their needs? Tell me about a time that you had an overwhelming number of responsibilities. What did you do? Describe a time you had to use fact-finding skills to solve a problem. What would you consider to be a clinically significant interaction between drugs? How would you grade yourself when it comes to identifying drug-seeking behavior in patients?

Have you encountered this problem and how have you handled it? Here are some common interview questions for pharmacists and suggestions for how to answer them and sample answers.

Interviewers ask this question to determine what most attracted you to a specific role within a particular organization. They also want to gauge your level of passion for helping others.

Make sure your answer captures the role and why you are passionate about the job. The way you answer this question will determine the tone of the rest of the conversation. Offer a response that shows you understand the job requirements and are committed to delivering the best performance if hired.

But the most interesting part of the profession is how drugs heal different ailments. This was why I chose pharmacy and I have been preparing myself for the role for a long time.

I believe I am well-equipped to deliver value to customers and help the pharmacy achieve its goals. This question is aimed at testing your research skills, communication skills and customer service abilities. Inquire among the other team members if they are familiar with the medication. If not, tell the customer you will research the drug and follow-up with them when you know more.

I would get their contact information and follow up within 24 hours. Increase in number of prescriptions filled each year. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the number of prescriptions filled increased from 1.

Our society will continue to need more pharmacists to manage the growing number of prescriptions as more medicines become available and the population ages. Increase in the number of medicines available on the market. There is a greater selection of prescription and OTC drugs manufactured today than in the past. Multiple medications are often available to treat a single disease. Pharmacists help prescribers and patients decide which medicine will have the most beneficial results.

When pharmacists are involved in patient care, outcomes improve and costs decline. Increase in the elderly population. According to the U. Census Bureau, 1 in 5 Americans will be classified as elderly by Older patients generally have more chronic illness and more complicated drug regimens than younger individuals.

Pharmacists play a key role in helping the elderly patients navigate complicated medication requirements and explore ways to minimize their financial burden. The aging population has also increased the need for long-term care, geriatric and consultant pharmacists. I Want to be an Important Member of the Healthcare Team Pharmacists work with other health care professionals to maximize health outcomes. I am Excited to be a Part of Major Innovations in Medication Therapy One of the many exciting developments in the pharmacy profession is the growth of a discipline, known as pharmacogenomics.

I Want to Work with State-of-the-Art Technology Digital innovations in pharmacy include electronic prescriptions, robotics for central prescription processing and nationwide prescription monitoring programs, as well as pharmaceutical research. I Can Help Defend Against Bioterrorism Pharmacists are educated to recognize signs and symptoms of diseases that may be used in a biological attack. Choosing a course Getting into university Student loans and finance.

University life Changing or leaving your course Alternatives to university. Log in Register. Getting a job CVs and cover letters Applying for jobs Interview tips Open days and events Applying for university Choosing a course Getting into university Student loans and finance University life Changing or leaving your course Alternatives to university Post a job. Work experience It's important to get relevant work experience to show potential employers that you're enthusiastic and that you can apply the skills you've learned during your course to the workplace.

Typical employers The majority of community pharmacists in the UK work in large retail chains or independent pharmacies of various sizes. Other types of employers include: the armed services - you can work as a military pharmacist for the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force universities and research institutions - for a career as an academic pharmacist veterinary pharmacy practices - you can work as a veterinary pharmacist for specialist practices, university veterinary schools, the pharmaceutical industry, and government departments and agencies such as the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

Skills for your CV Studying pharmacy enables you to develop skills specific to the role of a pharmacist, including: knowledge of facts and theories relating to the discovery, design, development, manufacture and delivery of medicines knowledge of the properties and clinical uses of medicines how patients react to the medicines they take the ability to communicate effectively with patients and other health professionals production of pharmacy-specific scientific documentation operation of pharmaceutical instrumentation knowledge of the law and ethical concerns relating to the supply of medicines analysis of medicines an understanding of individual patient care and issues relating to public health.

These include: interpersonal and communication skills the ability to work well as part of a team numeracy and computation critical evaluation and research skills problem-solving skills and the ability to think clearly and methodically time management and organisational skills commercial awareness.

Further study Only small numbers of pharmacy graduates go on to further study directly after graduation. What do pharmacy graduates do? Destination Percentage Employed Here are some examples:. Pharmacy school programs typically focus on complex topics across mathematics and science, and you'll likely encounter interview questions like the following:. The following pharmacy school interview questions and sample answers can help you anticipate how you'll respond so you have the best chances of acceptance:.

The interviewer may want to get an idea of what you feel makes a pharmacist effective at doing their job. Use your answer to relate these qualities to your own. Example: "I feel that exceptional attention to detail, organization and interpersonal skills play a large part in a pharmacist's effectiveness. Aside from the necessary technical, mathematical and scientific skills, I feel that the ability to maintain proper organization within a pharmacy and the ability to empathize and communicate well with patients is of the utmost importance.

I understand the nuances and dynamics of communicating with others in a customer service capacity, and I'm extremely attentive to details so that everything is organized and in its appropriate spot. Your perceptions about the field of pharmacology and the role of a pharmacist, in general, can give the interviewer valuable insight into how you view their program. Use your answer to relate to your own values and motivations for selecting pharmacy as your major.

Example: "I feel that pharmacists are extremely vital to a healthcare team in providing support to patients. Pharmacists are the experts when it comes to medications, interactions and providing safe and effective pharmaceutical treatment. Without the knowledge and expertise of a licensed pharmacist, a healthcare team may not have the full range of resources to offer patients. This question may come up, especially if you're an out-of-state graduate.

The interviewer is most likely looking for specific aspects of their pharmacy school program that you feel will benefit your career goals.

Use your answer to give examples of your main career goals and how the program will help you achieve them. Example: "I chose the pharmacy program here at West Trenton University because of the stellar outcomes of past students.

After performing hours of research on potential schools, I ultimately chose this one because my biggest career goal is owning and operating a private community pharmacy, and your program also covers the business and professional ethics aspects of this.

I feel that these factors will ultimately help me achieve this goal. This question helps the interviewer gauge your strengths and personal qualities that they may be looking for in pharmacy school candidates. Showcase the qualities you have that you've also seen pharmacists in your community exhibit. Here's an example:. Example: "I've noticed that my community pharmacist is extremely detail-oriented, compassionate and patient with their customers.

This resonates with me because I have always been empathetic to others' emotions and experiences, and I enjoy being able to help others take control of their well-being. I also feel that my organization and analytical skills will help me succeed as a pharmacist in the future because of the importance I place on maintaining order and following protocol within a medical setting.

This question allows the interviewer to evaluate how you feel working as part of a team along with your abilities to delegate responsibilities, share tasks and collaborate on solving problems. Highlight any projects in which you worked as part of a team, and give some examples of challenges you faced and how you succeeded in your team role. Example: "I recently completed a research project with three of my classmates for my human anatomy course. Our research topic was the therapeutic benefits of new and emergent migraine medications and was primarily responsible for finding appropriate resources, collecting data and analyzing and interpreting the data I collected.

The most challenging aspect of this project was determining which data would be most appropriate for our research, but with the help of one of my teammates, we were able to disseminate the best information to use for our project. This question gives the interviewer insight into how well you manage your time and responsibilities as a student.