Community Pharmacy PDF

Community Pharmacy COMMUNITY PHARMACY Is establishment that are privately owned and whose function, in varying degrees is to serve societies needs for both drug product and pharmaceutical service. It is the branch of pharmacy that deals with different aspects of patient care, dispensing of dr...

Community Pharmacy COMMUNITY PHARMACY Is establishment that are privately owned and whose function, in varying degrees is to serve societies needs for both drug product and pharmaceutical service. It is the branch of pharmacy that deals with different aspects of patient care, dispensing of drugs and advising patient on the safe and rational drug use The main responsibilities of a community pharmacy include compounding,  counseling, and dispensing of drugs to the patients with care, accuracy, and legality along with the proper procurement, storage, dispensing and documentation of medicines  The community pharmacist must be a qualified and pertinent with sound education, skills and competence to deliver the professional service to the community. A community pharmacist should (i) have a sound background of pharmaceutical care, pharmacotherapy, and health promotion. (ii) have good communication skills with patients and other healthcare providers. (iii) maintain a high degree of standard in products, services, and communication. (iv) record and maintain his documents in order. Scope of Community Pharmacy Community Pharmacy has a large number of scopes or approaches, which are related to patient counseling and patient drug control. Drug information about their action provides grasp on chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, routes of administration, stability and other information regarding drugs. The community pharmacy is an excellent institute and an educational laboratory for physician and pharmacist carrying out an obligation to provide necessary and fully authoritative information on drug Drug utilization Community pharmacy helps to develop charging policies for pharmaceutical services. It should also be able to implement an adequate system for stock and inventory control. also decides the proper regimen of drug to the patient. It also gives the knowledge to how to administer the drug to the patient.  Cont.…. Drug distribution It is necessary to have control for internal distribution of drugs for patients. The patients who are hospitalized may require intensive drug therapy, controlled procedures which will allow rapid rechecks of drug source and quality.  Cont.… Drug selection In the field of community pharmacy the ‘rational drug therapy’ plays a important role for the selection of drugs which will be given to the patients to encounter the disease. It is defined as the use of an appropriate, efficacious, safe and cost-effective drug given for the right indication, in the right dose and at right interval of time and for the right duration of time (Dosage regimen).  Cont. It involves various type of activities like- (a) Adoption of essential drugs concept (b) Training of health professionals (counseling of health in Rational Drug Therapy/ Rational Drug Use) (c) Maintenance of data based on clinical guidelines Consumer education and regulatory strategies if the Rational Drug Use (RDU) is not proper it leads to illness, adverse drug reactions (ADRs), increase cost of medication and treatment to the patient. Role and Responsibilities of Pharmacist A. Dispensing area Ensures that established policies and procedures are followed. Checks for the accuracy of doses prepared Provides for proper drug control Ensures that drugs are stored and dispensed properly (eg. Investigational drugs) Ensure that good techniques are used in compounding intravenous admixtures and extemporaneous preparations  Cont.… Provides for proper record keeping and billing (a) Patient-medication records (b) Extemporaneous compounding records (c) Intravenous admixture records billing (d) Investigational-drug records (e) Reports (eg. Monthly workload report)  Cont.…. Ensures that new personnel are trained properly in the policies and procedures of the dispensing area. Co-ordinates the activities of the area with the available staff to make the best possible use of personnel and resources. Co-ordinates the overall pharmaceutical needs of the patients care areas with the dispensing area (eg. Delivery schedules). B. Patient-care area Supervision of drug administration. (a) Reviews and interprets each unit doses and intravenous (IV) admixture medication order to ensure that it is entered accurately into the unit-dose or IV- admixture system. (b) Reviews each patients drug administration form periodically to ensure that all doses are being administered and charted correctly.  Cont.… Reviews all doses missed, reschedule the doses as necessary and signs all drugs not given notices. Ensures that proper drug administration techniques are used. Acts as liaison between the pharmacist, the nursing and medical staffs. Communicates with nurses and physicians concerning medication administration problems. Periodically inspects the medication area on the nursing units to ensure that adequate levels of floor stocks drugs and supply are maintained. C. Direct patient care 1. Assists in drug-product and entity selection. Monitors patient s’ total drug therapy for- (a) Effectiveness/ ineffectiveness (b) Side-effects (c) Toxicities (d) Allergic drug reactions (e) Drug interaction (f) Appropriate therapeutic outcomes  Cont.. Counsels patients on medication to be self administered in the hospital Discharge medications Participates in cardiopulmonary emergencies by Procuring and preparing the drug required. Charting all medications given. Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary.