Pharmacy Orientation Course Overview

Pharmacy Orientation - Course Aims

• The orientation aims to introduce students to the various aspects of the pharmacy profession, including the mission of pharmacy, the pharmacist's role in society, and different career paths in pharmacy.
• The course will cover the classification of medications.
• Students will learn to recognize different sources of drugs.
• It will cover pharmaceutical dosage forms and drug administration routes.
• The course will detail different prescriptions and medication orders, general dispensing procedures, and factors affecting drug dosage.
• The history of pharmacy practice in various cultures will be explored.

Course Description - Weighing of Assessments

• Course work and mid-term exam: account for 25% of the final grade.
• Written exam: accounts for 75% of the final grade.
• Other types of assessments: account for 0% of the final grade.
• The total grade is out of 100%.

Course Outline - Subjects and Page Numbers

• Introduction: Page 2
• Course specification: Page 3
• Mission of Pharmacy and medical care process: Page 9
• General Dispensing Procedures: Page 17
• Factors Affecting Drug Dosage: Page 26
• The Prescription: Page 31
• Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Page 43
• Routes of drug administration: Page 56
• Classification of Medications: Page 64
• History of Pharmacy: Page 70
• Topic of self-learning: Page 82
• Sources of Drugs: Page 84
• References: Page 84
• Question Bank: Page 85

Lecture 1 - Pharmacy and Medical Care Process

• Pharmacy encompasses a place, profession, and sometimes—a business.
• A pharmacy is a place where licensed pharmacists dispense medicine upon receiving a valid prescription from a licensed prescriber.
• Pharmacies can be freestanding structures or located within other places like drugstores, medical offices, or hospitals.
• Pharmacists play a crucial role in the healthcare system, overseeing procedures related to drug use.
• Pharmaceutical care focuses on the responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve desired outcomes and improve patients' quality of life.

What is Medical or Pharmaceutical Care?

• Medical or pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve intended outcomes and enhance patient well-being.
• Pharmacists are qualified, trained, and skilled health professionals performing various roles. Their aim is to ensure optimal health outcomes for patients.

Pharmacist Roles and Responsibilities

• Pharmacists sometimes own their pharmacies.
• Pharmacists work in various settings: hospitals, community pharmacies, clinics, and medical laboratories.
• Pharmacists are the first point of contact for patients within the healthcare system.
• Pharmacists play a role in reviewing prescriptions to ensure quality control related to drug therapy.
• They work to ensure appropriate drug therapies by consulting with the prescribing physician.
• Pharmacists provide consultations to patients on medication usage.
• Pharmacists monitor both positive and negative effects of drug therapies.

The Medical Care System

• This describes the interactions between patients and medical practitioners.
• It is not a single system but comprises various interconnected subsystems serving different segments of the population.
• Families typically select an appropriate healthcare provider based on needs and pay for services either directly or through health insurance.

Examples of Medical Care Systems

• Military medical system: Providing care to military personnel and their families.
• Engineer's medical system: Providing care to engineers and their families.
• Doctor's medical system: Providing care to doctors and their families.
• Pharmacist medical system: Providing care to pharmacists and their families.

Organization of the Medical Care System

• They (mentioned previously) deliver personal health services to all individuals.
• Included in the system: hospitals, clinics, home healthcare services, nursing homes, pharmacies, medical schools, dental schools, pharmacy schools and academic health centers.

Factors Affecting the Medical Care System

• Several factors beyond individual control shape the healthcare system.
• These include social, cultural, economic, legal, and political factors.
• Societal values regarding healthcare significantly influence the development of healthcare systems.

The Drug Components of Medical Care

• The prescription is a vital component of the patient's visit (approximately 80% of all visits).
• Pharmacists are involved in the important process of providing and ensuring the medication’s proper use.

Several Characteristics of the Drug Dispensing Process

• Two sets of professionals are involved: physicians and pharmacists.
• The physician defines the specific therapeutic course and provides the prescription.
• The pharmacist ensures the intended therapy is properly administered to every patient aspect.

Main Processes Involved in Drug Therapy

• Pharmaceutical processes: (drug delivery to the patient)
• Pharmacokinetic processes: (drug delivery to its site of action)
• Pharmacodynamic processes: (drug action in producing its effects).
• Therapeutic processes: (converting pharmacological effects into clinical benefits)

A Good Clinical Pharmacist

• They have a good perception of their significant contribution within the healthcare team, considered drug experts.
• The pharmacist requires specific knowledge backgrounds: Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Clinical Pharmacodynamics, and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring.

Medication errors and Drug-Related Problems

• Untreated indications: A patient requires medication but does not receive it.
• Improper drug selection: The prescribed drug is ineffective or toxic.
• Sub-therapeutic dosage: Insufficient dosage of the correct drug.
• Failure to receive drugs: Patient does not take the prescribed drug.
• Over dosage: Exceeding the recommended dosage of the drug.
• Adverse drug reactions: Problems or conditions resulting from adverse drug reactions.
• Drug interactions: Problems arising from drug-drug or drug-food interactions.
• Drug use without indication: Patient takes a drug without valid medical reasons.

After the Prescription

• After the prescription is written, clinical pharmacists play a key role.
• They communicate and counsel patients to help improve awareness of their treatment.
• They ensure patients understand how to take their medication effectively, monitoring their treatment response, and provide advice to improve effectiveness.

Outcome of Applying Clinical Pharmacy

• Maximizing the clinical effectiveness of medicines.
• Minimizing the risk of adverse drug effects.
• Minimizing the treatment costs associated with adverse drug effects.