Pharmacists are highly trained
professional and skilled personnel that are involved in various health care
activities. They are licensed to prepare, compound, and dispense drugs upon
written order (prescription) from a licensed practitioner such as a physician,
dentist, or advanced practice nurse. A pharmacist is a health care professional
who cooperates with, consults with, and sometimes advises the licensed
practitioner concerning drugs.
Nature of work and responsibilities of pharmacists
In more modern times, pharmacists advise patients and health care providers on
the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications, and act
as a learned intermediary between a prescriber and a patient. Pharmacists
monitor the health and progress of patients to ensure the safe and effective use
of medication. Pharmacists may practice compounding; however, many medicines are
now produced by pharmaceutical companies in a standard dosage and drug delivery
form. In some jurisdictions, pharmacists have prescriptive authority to either
independently prescribe under their own authority or in collaboration with a
primary care physician through an agreed upon protocol. Increased numbers of
drug therapies, ageing but more knowledgeable and demanding populations and
deficiencies in other areas of the health care system seem to be driving
increased demand for the clinical counseling skills of the pharmacist. One of
the most important roles that pharmacists are currently taking on is one of
pharmaceutical care. Pharmaceutical care involves taking direct responsibility
for patients and their disease states, medications, and management of each to
improve outcomes. Pharmaceutical care has many benefits that may include but are
not limited to: decreased medication errors; increased patient compliance in
medication regimen; better chronic disease state management, including
hypertension and other cardiovascular disease risk factors; strong
pharmacist–patient relationship; and decreased long-term costs of medical care.
Pharmacists are often the first point-of-contact for patients with health
inquiries. Thus pharmacists have a significant role in assessing medication
management in patients, and in referring patients to physicians. These roles may
include, but are not limited to: clinical medication management, including
reviewing and monitoring of medication regimens assessment of patients with
undiagnosed or diagnosed conditions, and ascertaining clinical medication
management needs
• Specialized monitoring of disease states, such as dosing drugs in renal and
hepatic failure.
• Compounding medicines.
• Providing pharmaceutical information.
• Providing patients with health monitoring and advice, including advice and
treatment of common ailments and disease states.
• Supervising pharmacy technicians and other staff.
• Oversight of dispensing medicines on prescription.
• Provision of non-prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
• education and counseling for patients and other health care providers on
optimal use of medicines (e.g., proper use, avoidance of overmedication)
• Referrals to other health professionals if necessary.
• Pharmacokinetic evaluation.
• Promoting public health by administering immunizations.
• TDM (therapeutic drug monitoring)
• Pharmacovigilance
• Pharmacotherapy
• Dose calculations in special population(pediatric & geriatric) and in
different co-morbidities.
Specialties:
• Academic Pharmacist
• Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
• Community Pharmacist
• Compounding Pharmacist
• Consultant Pharmacist
• Drug Information Pharmacist
• Home Health Pharmacist
• Hospital Pharmacist
• Industrial Pharmacist
• Informatics Pharmacist
• Locum Pharmacist
• Managed Care Pharmacist
• Military Pharmacist
• Nuclear Pharmacist
In Pakistan 21 universities are registered with pharmacy council of Pakistan for
importing pharmacy courses.in 2004 HEC (higher education of Pakistan) and PCP
(pharmacy council of Pakistan) changed the 4 year B. Pharmacy program to 5 year
PHARM.D (doctor of pharmacy) program.in Pakistan it is legally authorized that a
pharmacist holding PHARM.D qualification can use the prefix Dr. before their
name PCP/October/2011.
Last words:
Pharmacist is skilled well trained and legal body and is important part of
health system regarding safe use of medicine according to standardtreatment
guidelines for diseases published byWHO (world health organization).in Pakistan
where health treatment is already very expensive and the number of so called
uncertified illegal Dr’s those who can’t even diagnose properly giving treatment
to people .recently there are news of deaths in different areas of Pakistan even
in PIMS(Pakistan institute of medical sciences) due to wrong dose calculations,
negligence and concentration. We strongly demand that ministry of health notice
such events and appoint such personnel’s that are trained and skilled in their
fields.