Pharmacy Profession Challenges and Focus Shift

Challenges to the Pharmacy Profession

• The pharmacy profession faces challenges, shifts in focus, and emerging technologies.
• A key shift is moving from a product-focused approach (drugs) to a patient-focused approach (pharmaceutical care).
• Pharmaceutical care is defined as the responsible provision of drug therapy to improve patient quality of life.
• Pharmacists work collaboratively with patients and other healthcare professionals to create therapeutic plans.

Shift in Focus from Product to Patient

• Five key principles of pharmaceutical care include collecting patient data, evaluating medical information, developing a drug therapy plan, implementing the plan, and monitoring and modifying the plan.
• Current challenges include under-utilization of community pharmacists in Malaysia.
• Training in new skills and ongoing learning are essential for pharmacists.

Specialization and Credentialing

• Specialization in pharmacy areas like clinical pharmacokinetics, geriatric pharmacy, and diabetes/warfarin management are crucial.
• Systemic processes for credentialing and privileges are crucial for validation.

Conflicts & Collaboration

• Conflicts can arise between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
• Collaboration and a team approach for patient benefit are essential.
• Professional survival may depend on this shift in focus.

Biotechnology and Gene Therapy

• New manufacturing skills are needed for tailored drugs and treatments, particularly in gene therapy and antibody treatments.
• These technologies are very effective but very expensive.

Increase in Need for Good Quality Information

• Pharmacists need expertise and unbiased information for patients.
• Integration with traditional, herbal, or complementary medicine is necessary.
• Professional responsibility should always outweigh any commercial considerations.

Use of Information Technology

• Pharmacists utilize technology as a source of information and to improve pharmaceutical care.
• Technology is essential for managing pharmacies, complying with regulations, and facilitating reimbursements.
• New and innovative IT applications are constantly emerging.

Dispensing Separation

• Dispensing separation is agreed upon in principle (National Medicines Policy).
• Considerable effort is still needed to improve processes, image of pharmacists, and related public acceptance.
• Infrastructure (numbers and distribution), and healthcare financing are components.

Changing Malaysian Healthcare Scenario

• National healthcare financing and the increasing number of corporate players in the retail pharmacy sector (e.g., Jusco, Cosway) are key to the changing landscape.
• The saturation of the pharmacy workforce is also a concern.
• Important legislation like the New Pharmacy Act (Poisons Amendment Act 2022) and other acts (Poisons Act 1952, Sale of Drugs Act 1952, etc.) are shaping the Malaysian healthcare system.

Health White Paper

• The Health White Paper outlines key considerations for transforming healthcare service delivery and advancing health promotion/disease prevention, ensuring equitable health financing, and strengthening the health system.