Historical Background of Pharmacy Practice

4. Historical Background of Pharmacy Practice

Students Learning Tasks

By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:

Define pharmacy practice

Explain historical background of pharmacy practice

Importance of pharmacy practice

Introduction/background of pharmacy practice

The number of medicines on the market has increased dramatically over the last few decades, bringing some real innovations but also considerable challenges in controlling the quality and rational use of medicines.

In developing and industrialized countries alike, efforts to provide health care, including pharmaceutical care, are facing new challenges. These include the rising costs of health care, limited financial resources, a shortage of human resources in the health care sector, inefficient health systems, the huge burden of disease, and the changing social, technological, economic and political environment which most countries face. While globalization has brought countries closer together in trade of products and services and in recognition of academic degrees and diplomas, for example, it has led to rapid changes in the health care environment and to new complexities due to increased travel and migration

The mission of the profession of pharmacy is to improve public health through ensuring safe, effective, and appropriate use of medications. Contemporary pharmacy practice reflects an evolving paradigm from one in which the pharmacist primarily supervises medication distribution and counsels patients, to a more expanded and team-based clinical role providing patient centered medication therapy management, health improvement, and disease prevention services.

The role of the pharmacist is developing rapidly to meet the needs of modern health care systems. Ensuring accurate dispensing of prescribed medicines against prescriptions and providing sound advice on responsible self-medication remain vitally important parts of the service provided by pharmacists.

Pharmacists have, however, recognized for some years that equally important roles are to advise other healthcare professionals on safe and rational use of medicines and to accept responsibility for seeking to ensure that medicines are used safely and effectively by those to whom they are supplied so that maximum therapeutic benefit is derived from treatment. This activity contributes both to the welfare of the individual and the overall improvement of public health

Definition of pharmacy practice

The “ Pharmacy Practice” means the interpretation, evaluation, and implementation of Medical Orders; the Dispensing of Prescription Drug Orders; participation in Drug and Device selection; Drug Administration; Drug Regimen Review; the Practice of Telepharmacy within and across state lines; Drug or Drug-related research; the provision of Patient Counseling; the provision of those acts or services necessary to provide Pharmacist Care in all areas of patient care, including Primary Care and Collaborative Pharmacy Practice; and the responsibility for Compounding and Labeling of Drugs and Devices (except Labeling by a Manufacturer, Repackager, or Distributor of Non-Prescription Drugs and commercially packaged Legend Drugs and Devices), proper and safe storage of Drugs and Devices, And maintenance Of required records.

The practice of pharmacy also includes continually optimizing patient safety and quality of services through effective use of emerging technologies and competency-based training.

Importance of Pharmacy Practice (20 minutes)

Having seen the background, definition and highlights of pharmacy practice, let’s now look unto the importance of pharmacy practice

In geriatric pharmacy practice: pharmacy practice is important because, Elderly patients are unique in that they possess an altered metabolic capacity for medications due to, for example, increased body fat and water, decreased muscle mass, decreased cardiac output and perfusion, decreased protein binding, reduced liver function, and reduced physiologic reserve—all of which lead to unique medication selection and dosing requirements compared to younger adults. As a result of concomitant disease states, multiple medications are often prescribed for elderly patients by a variety of providers. They also often require additional assistance to understand how to take their medications to avoid possible adverse drug effects.

Lack of mobility, vision/hearing difficulties, and possible altered mental status may further hamper proper use of medications by the elderly.

There is a shortage of healthcare professionals trained in geriatric pharmacotherapy and seniors older than 75 years of age are under-represented in clinical trials, resulting in a poor evidence base on which to make individualized therapeutic decisions.

As the number of elderly patients continues to increase, the contribution of the pharmacist to quality, long-term medication management will require dramatic expansion.

Pediatric pharmacy practice: The pediatric patient population spans the years from birth through adolescence, presenting a unique challenge with regard to drug therapy administration and monitoring.

Unlike adults, dosing is most commonly based on body weight, and pharmacokinetic variables are standardized relative to weight and/or body surface area.

Since physical growth and organ system maturation are dynamic processes throughout the aging continuum, frequent individual dosing calculations and adjustments are necessary, particularly in infants.

Pediatric disease states, such as cystic fibrosis can further impact pharmacotherapy due to differences in pharmacokinetics seen in this particular subset of patients. Pediatric patients are under-represented in clinical trials, resulting in an inadequate evidence base on which to make individualized therapeutic decisions. Most commercially available drugs are not formulated for use in infants and children.

In addition, the pediatric patient population poses a higher risk for medication errors. Pediatric patients are three times more likely to suffer from a medication error; and a relatively small magnitude of error, as compared to adults, may result in more serious consequences, especially in the youngest, most vulnerable patients.

Pediatric patients frequently experience adverse drug reactions similar to adults, but adverse reactions in the pediatric population may be harder to recognize or be of greater or lesser intensity

The practice of pharmacy may include but is not limited to:

The selection and provision of non-prescription medicine therapies and therapeutic aids; products;

The selection and provision of non-prescription medicine therapies and therapeutic aids;

Health promotion, including health screening;

Administration of medicines, including injectable medicines;

Researching and evaluating information and providing evidence-based advice and recommendations on medicines and medicine-related health issues;

Teaching and advising;

Policy development;

Management;

Manufacturing; and

Auditing

Unataka kutumiwa notes hizi kupitia WhatsApp?Kwa notes zilizopangiliwa vizuri kwa kusoma offline au PDF, bonyeza kitufe hapa chini. Ujumbe wenye Level, Semester, Module na Topic utaandaliwa moja kwa moja.TUMIWA NOTES WHATSAPP