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About Us

When most people think of pharmacists, they think of their local community pharmacy, or “drug store.” What most people don't realize is that in addition to this important role, many pharmacists are busy working at hospitals, clinics and medical centers. The University of Rochester Medical Center employs pharmacists in our four outpatient pharmacies as well as Highland Hospital and Strong Memorial Hospital.

Education

The practice of pharmacy within each state is regulated by the laws of the state, including the regulation of licensure for pharmacy practice. In recent years, the educational requirement increased from a five-year Bachelor of Science in pharmacy (B.S. Pharmacy) to a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program. In addition, some pharmacists continue their educational program by entering into a pharmacy practice residency program, like those offered here at the medical center.

Pharmacists in New York are required to take an extensive licensure examination to become “registered” to practice pharmacy, and must complete ongoing continuing education to maintain their license. Pharmacists are your medication experts.

Doctors Diagnose While Pharmacists Treat

Your pharmacist is an important member of your health care team. In addition to performing more traditional dispensing services, URMC pharmacists are actively involved in many specialty areas, including:

  • Burn/Trauma Surgical Intensive Care
  • Cardiology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Infectious disease
  • Internal Medicine
  • Investigational drug programs
  • Medical Intensive Care
  • Oncology
  • Palliative Care/Pain Service
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Solid organ transplantation
  • Surgical Intensive Care

University of Rochester Medical Center pharmacists are active with a number of pharmacy education programs, including the Wegmans School of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher College, the State University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Albany College of Pharmacy. They teach and mentor pharmacy students throughout the year.

Your URMC pharmacist can help you understand your medications to ensure that these are taken safely and effectively.

You should select your pharmacist and pharmacy as carefully as you select your physician, and stay with the same pharmacy so that all of your medication records are in the same place. This will help to ensure that your records are accurate and up-to-date and will allow you to develop a beneficial relationship with your pharmacist.

Personal Attention & Counseling

Our pharmacists take the time to talk to you about your medications and to answer your questions. We offer medication counseling to help you understand your medications. Our outpatient pharmacies are located in our hospitals or close to our facilities.

A pharmacy close to home or close to the doctor's office is great, just as long as you are not sacrificing personal attention and counseling to gain convenience.