|
Pharmacists, also known as chemists (Commonwealth English) or druggists (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), are healthcare professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use. A pharmacist is a member of the health care team directly involved with patient care.〔(''A Situational Analysis of Human Resource Issues in the Pharmacy Profession in Canada''. ) Human Resources Development Canada, 2001. Accessed 15 July 2011.〕〔MedScape News, (''Preceptors' Perspectives on Benefits of Precepting Student Pharmacists'' ), accessed 15 July 2011.〕 Pharmacists undergo university-level education to understand the biochemical mechanisms and actions of drugs, drug uses, therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters. This is mated to anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Pharmacists interpret and communicate this specialized knowledge to patients, physicians, and other health care providers. Among other licensing requirements, different countries require pharmacists to hold either a Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy, or Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The most common pharmacist positions are that of a ''community pharmacist'' (also referred to as a ''retail pharmacist'', ''first-line pharmacist'' or ''dispensing chemist''), or a ''hospital pharmacist'', where they instruct and counsel on the proper use and adverse effects of medically prescribed drugs and medicines.〔World Health Organization. ''Classifying health workers''. Geneva, 2010.〕〔US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (''Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010–11 Edition'' – ''"Pharmacists"''. ) Accessed 14 July 2011.〕 In most countries, the profession is subject to professional regulation. Depending on the legal scope of practice, pharmacists may contribute to prescribing (also referred to as "pharmacist prescriber") and administering certain medications (e.g., immunizations) in some jurisdictions. Pharmacists may also practice in a variety of other settings, including industry, wholesaling, research, academia, military, and government. ==Nature of the work== Historically, the fundamental role of pharmacists as a healthcare practitioner was to check and distribute drugs to doctors for medication that had been prescribed to patients. 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.〔Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. (Pharmacist prescribing. )〕 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 counselling skills of the pharmacist.〔 One of the most important roles that pharmacists are currently taking on is one of pharmaceutical care.〔Cipolle RJ, Strand LM, Morley PC. ''Pharmaceutical care practice''. 2nd ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill; 2004.〕 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 kidney and liver 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 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「pharmacist」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|