Introduction
The pharmaceutical profession is growing by leaps and bounds; several external factors such as technology, interdisciplinary focus, and management therapy have contributed towards this growth. The paper will examine what the future has in store for pharmacy especially in light of the evolution that the profession has gone through.
Three things I have learned about pharmacy practice
In the first half of the twentieth century, it was often assumed that pharmacists were to prepare medicinal products based on some kind of art rather than through the use of preset scientific procedures. However, in the mid-twentieth century, their role got restricted to dispensation, labeling, and compounding uncompleted drugs. This was because large-scale manufacturing became a reality at that point. A decade later, the term clinical practice was introduced in the pharmacy where patient-centered practice took center stage. In the next three decades up to the nineteen nineties, most pharmacists began collaborating with members of other associated professionals. At this period, there was a transformation of traditional conceptions of pharmacy as diverse disciplines were introduced. After 1990, pharmaceutical roles were redefined to emphasize the aspect of patient quality. (Strand & Hepler, 1990) Currently, pharmacists are understood as individuals who are experts in medication and must work for hand in hand with healthcare professionals, physicians, and patients to lead to great outcomes in health and to manage medication.
In light of this evolution, there are three major things that I have learned about pharmacy. First I have learned that the primary role of the pharmacist is adaptation. This role starts with another health professional that diagnoses the patient and then decides that the patient will need medication. The pharmacist then steps to implement the prescription. However, minor modifications can be made and they may include substituting a drug with a similar one or altering the level of dosage depending on patient needs. However, all these actions can only be implemented after getting a go-ahead from the affected person. Evaluation of the effects of the drug must be done by the person who had prescribed the drugs in the first place. Usually, such pharmacists may be found in community pharmacies or clinical pharmacies. The latter is usually based in healthcare settings while the former is found in retail settings that resemble convenience stores.
The second thing I learned about pharmacists is that they can also carry out an initiation role. In this instance, the first healthcare professional that the patient will see is the pharmacist who must then make the decision on whether drug therapy will be necessary based on a thorough assessment of the patient. Sometimes, this may be done upon referral by physicians. Alternatively, patients may initiate this when they happen to have a chronic illness that requires the continual intake of certain drugs. Therefore, such a pharmacist may be responsible for monitoring the patient. In other words, he/ she can be described as a consultant pharmacist. (Nimmo & Holland, 2005)
Lastly, I learned that pharmacists have the responsibility of compounding. Here, they are given the task of creating drugs in different forms such that patients can access the same active ingredient in a drug in a different form; for instance, instead of taking tablets, they could be compounded to syrups. Conversely, it may be necessary to combine different elements such that the strength of a certain drug is altered to meet the therapeutic needs of a particular patient. In other words, compounding pharmacists have the major responsibility of providing different forms of drugs to the general public so as to maximize patient outcomes.
How the three issues can enhance patient safety
Patient safety can be enhanced during the adaptation process by reconciling medication so that minimal errors are encountered. The latter often crop up when a patient is required to move to another ward, when they have been admitted or when they are being discharged. At this point, the pharmacists can make a list of all the medication that a patient is using then follow this up with a list of what is required but has not been prescribed. He should then make a comparison and then determine what is missing. The pharmacists must then tell all concerned personnel about this latter list. In so doing the patient is put at less risk of missing out on helpful drugs, mixing drugs that may create a lethal combination, taking an overdose or underdose, or taking the same drug twice. (Joint Commission international, 2007)
The compounding process also needs to be done very carefully as various patients have their specific needs. When pharmacists carry out these roles well, then chances are that the well-being of their concerned patients will be enhanced. Special interest ought to be given to vulnerable groups as their responses to medical errors can be quite extreme.
When initiating prescriptions, pharmacists must make sure that patient safety is enhanced by using the resources at their disposal. For instance, through information technology, it can be possible to access health records, make order entries, and exchange information with other stakeholders such that minimal errors are encountered.
All the three important functions of the pharmacists need to inculcate greater cooperation with other professionals. To this end, interdisciplinary work can provide a suitable method of making wellness a priority in most of these cases. Utmost consideration should be given to safety not just among pharmacists but also across the whole spectrum of the healthcare industry. Collaboration can also imply working together with fellow professionals in pharmacy so to identify best practices. For instance, compounding pharmacists can keep track of any new drug that may have led to adverse effects and thus inform other professionals about it so as to prevent them from repeating the same mistake and affecting the patient’s overall outcome.
Where I see pharmacy practice going based on the evolution of what we know
In the future, the pharmacy may likely take on greater automation thus allowing pharmacists to place more stress on the distribution of medication or personalized systems such as dispensation of immunizations and management of chronic diseases through medication. The automation process may involve filling drugs and measurement of the right dosages. Other services that are likely to witness the application of these technologies include internet sales, delivery services of drugs through the use of order tracking such as GPS, quality assurance through the employment of barcoding, and also provision of clinical support. (Medscape, 2010)
Patient counseling will also be another important dimension that the pharmacy industry may embrace. In this case, the importance of care will take greater precedence than is currently the case. Going by the evolution of pharmacy and the recent developments within this industry, it can be seen that there is increasing competition, especially amongst community pharmacies. Consequently, most practitioners and owners are recording stunted growth. It is likely that they will be looking for various avenues for changing their profitability. Although drug dispensing is what gets most clients to pharmacies, pharmacists must look for new ways of making sure that they come back and one method is through counseling. Not only will counseling be adopted because it has the potential to increase profits but also because it can enhance patient safety. It is likely that in the future, the federal government will require pharmacies handling particularly dangerous drugs (when misused) to counsel patients on the uses and dangers of such drugs. This will ensure that minimal abuse occurs and the well-being of the patient is heightened. Furthermore, counseling will assist patients with chronic diseases to access better management services as pharmacists will be having more time for them. A case in point is educating patients on diabetes. (Nimmo & Holland, 2005)
Currently, many pharmacies are not just focused on drugs; some of them consider patient care a central part of their role. In the future, it is likely that more of this will be witnessed. In other words, the issue of therapy management will take precedence in the coming years if current occurrences are anything to go by. Many pharmacists will take on greater clinical roles so as to provide accurate medication.
The education of pharmacists is also likely to go through a reinvention. Currently, drugs are changing. Herbal medications sold across the counter may lead to side effects. Furthermore, different drugs designed to deal with challenges such as chemotherapy have also been getting multifaceted. It will be necessary for students in this profession to be more familiar with anatomy, diseases, and patient experiences. This implies that education may have to be more intense. Furthermore, it is likely that greater attention will be given to training since merging practice and training is critical to the success of the profession.
Conclusion
Current developments in pharmacy are all characterized by a move towards less of the pharmacist and more of the patient. Education in this profession is likely to reflect this move. Technological adaption is also going to boost outcomes and so will greater emphasis on management therapy and counseling. In other words, the future looks quite promising for this profession.
References
Strand, L. & Hepler, C. (1990). Responsibilities and opportunities in pharmacy. American Hospital Pharmaceutical Journal, 17(3), 533
Joint Commission international (2007). The role of the pharmacists in patient safety. NY: McMillan
Nimmo, C. & Holland, R. (2005). Beyond pharmacy care. American health systems Pharmaceutical journal, 56, 168
Medscape (2010). Future pharmacists’ roles. Web.