Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Home :: More Career Profiles
Poison-Control Pharmacist |
Career OverviewMany people may not realize that when they call into a poison-control hotline that they may actually be speaking to a very specialized kind of professional, a poison-control pharmacist. A poison-control pharmacist may work on a hotline, at a university or research center, or with a consulting company. Their major job is to suggest appropriate medical and drug therapies to control accidental consumption of poisonous materials.
A poison-control pharmacist doesn’t just have to worry about callers phoning in about actual poisons, but often they have to advise people about drug interventions for the consumption of food items that have cause a reaction, houseplants, chemicals, and other items that people, usually small children, may have consumed by accident. In addition they may have to respond to situations where poison has accidentally been introduced to people through the air, water or through contamination.
A poison-control pharmacist must have an ability to speak with people that are upset or highly emotional. They should have excellent communication skills and should be able to clarify and discover facts. A poison-control pharmacist must be able to make decisions independently but correctly, and should understand basic chemistry to be able to prescribe the correct medications to counteract the poison.
Excellent record keeping and use of computers and telecommunications methods are also required for a poison-control pharmacist. Experience in working with poisonous compounds and chemicals is considered an asset.
|
Career RequirementsA poison-control pharmacist must have a Bachelor of Science plus advanced coursework or a Doctor of Pharmacy. In addition he or she is required to be licensed in the state that they are working in. All poison-control pharmacists must have completed the North American Pharmacists Licensure Exam and in some states the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam is also required.
|
Advertisement
|
Job OutlookThe demand for poison-control pharmacists will continue to increase both in major centers and in smaller areas. Usually poison control centers are located in research facilities or hospitals so the poison-control pharmacist may also work in other areas of the hospital including research or as a clinical or hospital pharmacist.
All pharmacy jobs in hospitals should have a steady increase in demand for new pharmacists. This trend will continue at least until 2014. Specialized pharmacists will have more options for job opportunities than generalists, especially in the research and hospital environments.
|
Career TrackA poison-control pharmacist can easily move into management, research, or training of new pharmacists. Many poison-control pharmacists work as consultants to chemical companies or pharmaceutical companies and may be eligible to transfer into research departments or work as managers.
|
CompensationAs with all hospital based pharmacists the average rate of pay for a poison-control pharmacist is between $84,000 and $90,000 per year. Those poison-control pharmacists that work as consultants or for larger private companies or pharmaceuticals may earn in excess of $100,000 per year, although they will usually be involved in some aspect of research as well as acting as a poison-control pharmacist.
|
|