Pharmacists: Nature of the Work

In Cyprus, pharmacists are able to distribute prescription drugs to people. Pharmacists can also give vital advice to their patients, physicians, and other health practitioners on the selection, interactions, dosages, and the side effects that some medications can have, as well as monitor the health and progress of those patients to ensure that they are using their medications safely and effectively. Combining and mixing the actual ingredients for medications is a small part in a pharmacist’s work as most of the medications now in the market are produced by big pharmaceutical companies. In Cyprus a big number of pharmacists own a retail drugstore while a smaller number works in hospitals healthcare facilities.

In Cyprus pharmacists who own retail drugstores their work is to provide patients with medications, advice, support and guide patients on the use of drug prescription, and counsel physicians about medication therapy and treatment. In Cyprus, pharmacists also give vital advises to patients about broad health topics, such as stress management, medications without prescriptions, diet, exercise and many others and provide information on health products, such as durable medical equipment or home healthcare supplies. Pharmacists in Cyprus usually sell non-health-related products such as cosmetics and perfumes, health food and some personal related products or drugs that have to do with beauty. Furthermore, some pharmacist in Cyprus, they provide to their patients more specialized services (especially to elderly persons) to help them with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure or even smoking cessation.

Pharmacists that are employed by hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Cyprus are usually dispensing medications and counsel the medical team on the selection and variety of drugs and the effects that can have on patients. Healthcare pharmacists also organise, monitor, and assess drug programs; and may advice and guide hospital patients on the use of drugs before the patients are discharged.

Finally some pharmacists in Cyprus they also specialise in explicit drug therapy areas, such as intravenous nutrition support, geriatric pharmacy, oncology (cancer), nuclear pharmacy (used for chemotherapy), and psychiatric pharmacy (the use of drugs to treat mental disorders).