VITAL ROLE OF PHARMACIST IN HEATH CARE

VITAL ROLE OF PHARMACIST IN HEATH CARE

Pharmacists are the health professional who practices the science of pharmacy. In their vital role, pharmacists typically take a request for medicine from a prescribing health care provider in the form of a medical prescription evaluate the appropriateness of the prescription, dispense the medication to the patient and counsel them on the proper use and adverse effects of that medication. Pharmacists also participate in disease-state management, where they optimise and monitor drug therapy or interpret medical laboratory results – in collaboration with physicians and/or other health professionals.

Pharmacists have many areas of expertise and are a critical source of medical knowledge in clinics, hospitals, medical laboratory and community pharmacies throughout the world. Pharmacists also hold positions in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in pharmaceutical education and institutions.

The development of pharmacy is not uniform in worldwide. In U.K & U.S.A it is well developed while in India nobody knows about it. In the current scenario of India Pharmacy do not have its own identity. It is recognised by ‘chemical stores’ or ‘drug stores’. It is the place where the drug is purchased in the form of medicine following prescription or sometimes non-prescribed drugs are also given. To ignorant people, they are giving the cheapest quality drug having no significant therapeutic activity. They are doing just for getting the profit.

Pharmacists are trained in pharmacology, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical chemistry, microbiology, pharmacy practice (including drug interaction, medicine monitoring, medication management), pathophysiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery, pharmaceutical care, and compounding medications.

Pharmacist in health care involves taking direct responsibility for patients and their disease states, medications, and the management of each in order to improve the outcome for each individual patient. Pharmaceutical care has many benefits that include:

•        Strong pharmacist-patient relationship
•        Decreased long-term costs of medical care
•        Decreased medication errors
•        Increased patient compliance in  medication regimen
•        Better chronic disease state management

Pharmacist plays a vital role in  assessing medication management in patients, and in referring patients to physicians, which includes:

• Clinical medication management
• Monitoring of treatment regimens
• Delegating work
• General health monitoring
• Provision of non-prescription medicines
• Counselling and advice on optimal use of medicines
• Compounding medicines
• General health advice
• The assessment of patients with undiagnosed or diagnosed conditions and for decisions about the clinical medication management required.
• Specialised monitoring of disease states
• Reviewing medication regimens
• Providing specific education to patients about disease states and medications
• Oversight of dispensing medicines on prescription
• Advice and treatment of common ailments

It is also believed that pharmacists can make a great contribution to the primary health care, especially in developing countries. Their vital role varies in different parts of the world, some deal with the preparation and supply of medicines, while some focus on sharing pharmaceutical expertise with doctors and patients. Pharmaceutical services in developing countries face some specific challenges unlike those faced by pharmacists in the developed world.

With the change in the health demands, pharmacists have a further role to play in patient care. The health care system without pharmacists is unable to cope effectively with most medicine-related issues. Thus, the involvement of skilful and authoritative pharmacists in therapeutic procedures is necessary to improve appropriate use of medicines, eliminate medication errors, and make proper use of the medicine.

Pharmacists enjoy a prestigious job in a field that increasingly relies upon their skills and exper­tise. Pharmacy graduates are offered many opportunities and learn the wide variety of things, but educating patients about their medication therapy is always the most impor­tant. The discipline of pharmacy has a good future, offering the wide range of employment opportunities with an excellent salary. Only with an undergraduate degree, one may easily enter into pharmaceutical associated jobs. In the coming decades, pharmacists will become more integral within the health care system.