THE 'S' IN STEM: Ameera

What Do Pharmacists do?

I found myself wondering this 10 years ago when I first decided to begin my science career journey. I heard that some hideout in hospital basements making IV bags for sick people while others stand all day in drugstores giving out medications. The truth is, Pharmacists are doctors too. Yes, we are the doctors of Pharmacy! Pharmacists go through a lot of schooling to become drug experts, we play a very important role in ensuring dispensing accuracy and safety for every single medication that is given to a patients. After many years of hard work and schooling, a graduate of pharmacy school gets to celebrate their accomplishments, walk across stage and earn the diploma title of Pharm.D. aka doctor of Pharmacy.

As doctors of pharmacy, we help prevent harmful drug interactions and provide counseling on every new medication that leaves the pharmacy. Our focus on the medication allows us to let people know what really matters to them so that they can achieve the best healthcare results. We realize how a pain medication may affect you, your baby sister and your grandma differently and know the correct dose to give for each person. We make it easy to find the best product to buy for your stuffy nose and treat those pesky allergies. Behind every drugstore counter, lies a trusted pharmacist who is there to answer any drug questions. Your friendly neighborhood pharmacist is here to help YOU!

For students wondering about pursuing a career in science, it can be a difficult process that sometimes takes longer to achieve but the knowledge that comes out of making this journey is well worth the time and effort. Knowing your passion, what excites you in the classroom, helps you set goals early in life and chase after them to make it happen. In middle school, I really enjoyed science fairs which led to my appreciation of chemistry and helped me to better understand how drugs work in the body. Taking advantage of opportunities to explore your interests such as going on site visit job shadowing can shine light on what you can in life. I did not know any pharmacists or what they did. I did know that I wanted to help people get better and enjoyed science. After seeing exactly what pharmacists did, I chose to make this my goal and 10 years later made it happen. You can too!

About the Author: Ameera Aladimi, 25, is a Pharmacist at Fry’s Pharmacy. She graduated pharmacy school this past summer from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. After earning her Pharm.D., she chose to move south from Ohio to sunny Arizona. She likes outdoors, adventures, being active and of course science!