introduction to pharmacy practice

8/4/2019 Introduction to Pharmacy Practice

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Qais Alefan

R.Ph, B.Pharm, M.Pharm, PhD

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When asked about pharmacy?!, a drugstore or a place where you buy your

medication

Most people do not think about pharmacyas a profession!

Pharmacy is a place, a profession, andsometimes a business!

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a place where licensed pharmacists dispense medicineon receiving a valid prescription written by a legalprescriber

A pharmacy is not a drugstore. Some businesses today

do not have pharmacies, but do sell medicines boughtwithout a prescription (OTCs)

They also usually sell nonmedical items like cosmetics,hardware, and magazines

A pharmacy can be a free-standing building, or it maybe found inside other places like a drugstore, a medicaloffice building, or a hospital

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The word medicine in definingpharmacy (as a place) is preferable tothe word drug

In todays society, drug usually meansan unlawful drug or drug abuse

The word medicine is more positive, asits consumption usually improves health

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A profession is a disciplined group of individualswho adhere to ethical standards and upholdthemselves to and are accepted by the public aspossessing special knowledge and skills in a widely

recognized body of learning derived from research,education, and training at a high level, and who areprepared to exercise this knowledge and theseskills in the interest of others

The three commonly recognized characteristics of aprofession: study & training, measure of success,and associations

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Early humans most likely discovered that applyingwater, mud, & some plants soothed the skin

By simple trial and error, humans slowly discoveredthings in nature that helped them

The earliest known record of the art of the apothecary-the forerunner of the pharmacist-is in Babylon, thejewel of the ancient Mesopotamia

Practitioners (ca. 2600 B.C.) were priests, pharmacists,

and physicians, all in one The Chinese also contributed to early pharmacy (ca.

2000 B.C.).

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From this point forward in history, the art of crudemedicine preparation and pharmacy became morerefined by the Egyptians, the Greeks, & the Romans

One Roman in particular, Galen (A.D. 130-200),

practiced and taught pharmacy & medicine in Rome

His principles of preparing and Compounding ruled inthe Western World for 1500 yrs

Separation of pharmacy & medicine took place ca. A.D.

300 and is portrayed by twin brothers of Arabiandescent, Damian, the apothecary, and Cosmas, thephysician

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Plants with medicinal value were cultivated inmonasteries by monks during the 5th to 12th centuries

The Arabs were the first to have privately owneddrugstores called apothecary shops

Public pharmacies like these did not appear in Europeuntil the 17th century

The first official compendium of drugs, or

pharmacopoeia, originated in Florence, Italy, in 1498

The Society of Apothecaries of London was the firstorganization of pharmacists in the Anglo-Saxon world

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Even some pharmacists, answer by saying tosupply the medication

The purpose of pharmacy practice is to help

patients make the best use of their medication

From a public health point of view, pharmacists areneeded to assure the rational & safe use of themedication

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Medicinal therapy is the most frequently usedform of treatment

Medications use has grown dramatically

The population has aged

The prevalence of chronic disease has increased

New infectious diseases have emerged

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Medicines can be purchased in new settings, &are handled by non-pharmacists

Compounding has been largely replaced by thecommercial manufacture

Medicines can be bought in:

supermarkets, drug stores

markets Can be obtained by mail order or over the Internet they are sold by medical practitioners dispensed by computerized dispensing machines

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Do we still need pharmacists?

What is the value of pharmacyservices?

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Professions exist to serve society

The mission of the pharmacy profession mustaddress the needs of society

Previously, the acts of deciding on drug therapy &implementing it were relatively simple, safe &inexpensive

Physician prescribed & the pharmacist dispensed

However, there is substantial evidence to show thatthe traditional method of prescribing & dispensingmedication is no longer appropriate to ensure safety,effectiveness & adherence to drug therapy

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The consequences of medicine-related errorsare costly in terms of hospitalizations,physician visits, laboratory tests, etc

In developed countries, 4%10% of all hospitalinpatients experience an adverse drugreaction mainly due to the use of multipledrug therapy

In the USA, it is the 4th

-6th

leading cause of death &is estimated to cost up to US$130 billion a year In the UK it accounted for 466 million (over

US$812 million) in 2004

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Pharmacy students and practitioners must be educated toassume the responsibility for managing drug therapy, sothat they can maintain & expand their position in thehealth care system & are compensated for their role inproviding pharmaceutical care

Dispensing is, & must remain, a responsibility of thepharmacy profession

While fewer pharmacists may be actually engaged in

dispensing medication, predominantly in rural areas, morepharmacists will be managing the dispensing process andassuming responsibility for its quality and outcomes

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Over the past 4 decades there has been atrend for pharmacy practice to move awayfrom its original focus on medicine supplytowards a more inclusive focus on patient

care The role of the pharmacist has evolved:

Compounder &

supplier of

pharmaceutical

products

a provider of

services &information

a provider of

patient care

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The pharmacists task is to ensure that a patientsdrug therapy is appropriately indicated, the mosteffective, the safest, & convenient for the patient

Pharmacists can make a unique contribution to theoutcome of drug therapy & to their patients qualityof life

This new approach has been given the name

pharmaceutical care

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Pharmaceutical care is the responsibleprovision of drug therapy for the purpose ofachieving definite outcomes that improve apatients quality of life. (Hepler and Strand, 1990)

In 1998, the International PharmaceuticalFederation (FIP) added one significantamendment: achieving definite outcomes

that improve or maintain a patients quality oflife.

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The practice of pharmaceutical care is new, incontrast to what pharmacists have beendoing for years

Because pharmacists often fail to assumeresponsibility for this care, they may notadequately document, monitor and review thecare given

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The knowledge base of pharmacy graduates ischanging

Pharmacists already in practice were mainlyeducated on the basis of the old paradigm of

pharmaceutical product focus If these pharmacists are to contribute effectively

to the new patient-centred pharmaceuticalpractice, they must have the opportunity toacquire the new knowledge & skills required fortheir new role

To do this they must become life-long learners,one of the roles of the new pharmacist

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introduction to pharmacy practice

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