Most people associate the word pharmacy with dispensing and providing over-the-counter medications. However, a pharmacist is a professional who dispenses medications prescribed by physicians and administered by nurses in an environment that is not accessible to patients. There are many layers to the hospital pharmacist’s role today, such as a rapidly changing healthcare environment and ever-changing healthcare industry and a greater focus on reducing healthcare costs and improving health outcomes.
Pharmacists assist in living healthier, happier life
Pharmacists’ Daily Routines
Pharmacy professionals use their expertise with medication to treat patients, collaborate with other health care professionals, promote population health, and control pharmacy systems. The following are examples of activities that pharmacists are likely to perform daily. Pharmacy professionals who work in specialized practices and other settings may have different or additional duties to perform.
Patient Care
• The primary purpose of this job is to obtain information about your patient’s health history, social history, and medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter remedies, herbal products, and dietary supplements.
• An individual should be able to assess their current medical status, medications, risk factors, health literacy, and access to medication and other medical care.
• They provide patients with the knowledge and skills to choose OTC medications, herbal products, and nutritional supplements wisely and safely.
• Identify the prescribed medication and a treatment plan based on collaborating with other healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers.
• Preparing and dispensing prescriptions safely and accurately involves ensuring the medication and dosages are accurate and safe.
• It is essential to determine the risks involved to identify and prevent harmful drug interactions between other medications, foods, vitamins, supplements, or health conditions.
• The pharmacist’s role does not end at just educating patients and caregivers about the appropriate use, side effects, dosages, the proper storage of medications, or drug-free treatments.
• Monitor patient response to treatment using a medication treatment plan and recommend appropriate adjustments.
• Identifying a patient’s health status using point of care tests will help determine if they are ill.
• Immunize patients for vaccine-preventable conditions by administering vaccinations.
• Wellness-oriented services, such as blood pressure monitoring and smoking cessation, are available to patients.
• They reduce or eliminate acute or chronic pain safely, effectively, and efficiently. Ensure that there are no side effects, addictions, and accidental overdoses.
What is the role of a clinical pharmacist?
There is a wide range of tasks within clinical pharmacy, which focuses on developing and promoting rational and appropriate use of medicines to enhance the well-being of patients and communities. The role of the clinical pharmacist is also divided into the following areas:
• Reporting adverse reactions to doctors and suggesting possible treatment if a patient has an adverse reaction to a drug
• To determine all aspects of treatment for patients to ensure that they are receiving the most effective and safest treatment at the shortest possible time interval, to reach the best clinical outcomes, reduce adverse events, and eliminate unnecessary expense
• The doctor can ask for alternative treatment if the patient experiences an adverse reaction to the drug
Pharmacy’s evolution
Pharmacy services in hospitals have evolved from being primarily located in dispensaries to offering pharmacy services at the wards and the bedside of patients. This makes pharmacists an integral part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team caring for patients. As a vital members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, clinical pharmacists are involved in patient care more directly and actively participate in decision-making upon optimal therapy. Pharmacy services are delivered to patients in the ward by clinical pharmacists who undertake ward rounds with doctors to provide advice on medication and treatment regimens, listen to patients and answer questions to help to improve patient care outcomes. Clinical pharmacists will also be able to take up the field of specialist professional registration with the South African Pharmacy Council when they obtain a master’s degree, just as doctors continue to study in a field of specialization to become specialists in that area.
Why is a pharmacist important?
The pharmacist is responsible for ensuring that the quantity and production of drugs and their distribution within the pharmacy are appropriately tracked. Pharmacy is a specialized field consisting of trained and qualified professionals to assist hospitals and patients with their prescription needs. Therefore, a pharmacist has to maintain an open and wide eye on both hospitals and patients; they have to stay informed of the latest trends in medicine and diseases to provide the best possible services to the hospital and the patient. It is also essential for them to spend a lot of time at the laboratory carrying out experiments with the different chemicals and drugs and touring the factories where the drugs are manufactured and worked on.
Therefore, pharmacology and the all-inclusive quality of services provided by pharmacists is ever-increasing, and it will never disappear from the face of the earth. The pharmaceutical industry is a unique field of science that directly deals with medicines. Pharmacy is one of the most lucrative occupations a person can have in any country if they are dedicated to their job and understand what drugs are and how they are manufactured. The health and safety profession requires them to be aware of many essential aspects to ensure that their negligence harms no human being.
