Pharmacists

From HMCwiki

Pharmacists are health professionals who practice the art and science of pharmacy. In their traditional role, pharmacists typically take a request for medicines from a physician in the form of a medical prescription and dispense the medication to the patient and counsel them on the proper use and adverse effects of that medication. In this role, pharmacists ensure the safe and effective use of medications. Pharmacists also participate in disease state management, where they optimise and monitor drug therapy – often 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, and community pharmacies throughout the world.

Pharmacists are sometimes small-business owners, owning the pharmacy in which they practice. This unique dichotomy is often the subject of debate within the profession - in part due to the perception of pharmacists as "common shopkeepers" by many in the community. In actuality, while many pharmacists do "keep shop" they are also very skilled and specialized individuals with specific knowledge that makes them a vital part of any healthcare team. They act as a learned intermediary between patients and physicians to ensure that proper medical therapy is chosen and implemented in the best way possible.

Pharmacists are sometimes referred to as chemists, which sometimes causes confusion with scientists in the field of chemistry. This term is a historical one, since pharmacists originally were required to complete an undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (PhC) and were known as "Pharmaceutical Chemists".

1 Qualifications and registration
2 Roles
3 Practice specialisation
4 Specialty practice accreditation

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Qualifications and registration

The basic requirement for pharmacists to be considered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognized university. In most countries this involves a four-year course to attain a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree.

In order to practise as a pharmacist, the person must be registered with the relevant statutory body, which governs the registration and practice of pharmacy within the territory of its jurisdiction. There is often a requirement for the pharmacy graduate to have completed a certain number of hours of experience in a pharmacy, under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. The statutory body will usually administer a written and oral examination to the prospective pharmacist prior to registration.

Pharmacists are trained in fields including pharmacology, chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy practice (including drug interactions, medicine monitoring, medication management), pharmaceutics, pharmacy law, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, kinetics, nephrology, hepatology, and compounding medications. Additional curriculum covers basic diagnosis with emphasis on disease state management, therapeutics and prescribing (selecting the most appropriate medication for a given patient).

Individuals seeking to become pharmacists must complete a pre-pharmacy undergraduate program. This program consists of a minimum of 60-70 semester credit hours (90-100 quarter credit hours) of undergraduate coursework in basic and advanced sciences; however many students go on to complete a four year program (between 120-130 semester credit hours) leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, chemistry, or a similar field. In addition, a high PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) score is required at most colleges and schools of pharmacy.

After admission, a student will complete a four year pharmacy program and will be awarded the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree upon graduation. This degree is equivalent to that earned by a medical doctor (MD) from a traditional medical school. A pharmacy graduate may choose to complete an optional post-graduate residency (one to three years) or enter directly into pharmacy practice, e.g., community (retail), compounding, consultant (nursing home), hospital, nuclear, etc.

A pharmacy graduate must complete internship requirements and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, or NAPLEX, and an additional state exam before they can acquire a license to practice pharmacy in that state. The NAPLEX was created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

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Roles

Pharmacists are often the first point-of-contact for patients with health enquiries. This means that pharmacists have large roles in the primary healthcare of patients.

These roles include, but are not limited to:

clinical medication management
specialised monitoring of simple and complex disease states
reviewing medication regimens
monitoring of treatment regimens
general health monitoring
compounding medicines
general health advice
providing specific education to patients about disease states and medications
oversight of dispensing medicines on prescription
provision of non-prescription medicines
counselling and advice on optimal use of medicines
advice and treatment of common ailments
referral to other health professionals if necessary
dosing drugs in renal and hepatic failure
pharmacokinetic evaluation
education of physicians on medications and their proper use
prescribing medications in collaboration with other healthcare professionals
providing pharmaceutical care

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Practice specialisation

Specialties exist within the pharmacy profession, with the place of occupation being the major differentiator. Specialities include:

Academic pharmacist
Clinical pharmacist
Community pharmacist
Consultant pharmacist
Drug information pharmacist
Home Health pharmacist
Hospital pharmacist
Industrial pharmacist
Locum pharmacist
Regulatory-affairs pharmacist

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Specialty practice accreditation

In the United States, a pharmacist can become certified in recognized specialty practice areas by passing an examination administered by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. There are five specialties in which a pharmacist can become Board-certified. The Pharmacotherapy specialty also has two subspecialties, as follows: