Medical Assistant/Pharmist
A medical assistant/pharmacist is an allied health professional that supports the work of physicians and other health professionals. A Medical Assistant/pharmacist becomes certified through an accredited programme usually offered by a Paramedical College. A Medical Assistant/pharmacist can perform routine tasks and procedures such as measuring patient’s vital signs, administering medications and injections. In hospitals Medical Assistant/pharmacist often take medical history and record vital signs of patients. A Medical Assistant/pharmacist take care of administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals and other health care facilities. The duty of a Medical Assistant/pharmacist vary with the location, speciality and size of practise.
Role of a Medical Assistant/pharmacist:
A Medical Assistant/pharmacist acts as both administrator and health care professional, performing clinical duties and managing administrative tasks in medical offices and hospitals.
Administrative tasks include:
- Greeting patients and answering telephones
- Booking and cancelling appointments.
- Arranging hospital visits and admissions.
- Overseeing billing and book keeping.
Clinical tasks include:
- Explain medical procedures to patients.
- Preparing patients for examination.
- Sterilizing medical equipments.
- Assisting physicians.
- Taking blood samples and giving injections.
- Removing sutures and changing dressings.
- Carrying out electrocardiograms(ECG).
- Help the physicians with patients examination.
Job Tasks Include:
Diverse job opportunities are available in front of diploma and pharmacy certificate holders both in Government as well as Private sector. A medical Assistant/Pharmacist may start a chemist/Drug store of his own under norms. They can work in drug stores in Government Hospitals, Private Hospitals, Community Health Centres or private drug stores. A medical Assistant/Pharmacist can get job in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing/marketing establishments at different sections, like,manufacturing, process control or as representatives.