What is one of the responsibilities of a pharmacist?

One of the key responsibilities of a pharmacist is to guard against prescription fraud. This duty is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the medication distribution system and ensuring patient safety. Pharmacists must be vigilant in recognizing potentially fraudulent prescriptions, which can include signs like unusual handwriting, the use of invalid prescription pads, or prescriptions for medications that seem inappropriate for the patient's condition. By actively preventing prescription fraud, pharmacists help protect both the patient from harm caused by inappropriate medication use and the healthcare system from abuse.

While assisting patients in choosing medications, providing free samples, and selling OTC medications are certainly roles that pharmacists can take on, they are not as central to the core responsibilities that pharmacists hold in terms of safety and legality. The primary focus on guarding against fraud underscores the pharmacist's role in upholding ethical standards and regulatory compliance within the pharmacy practice.