Role of community pharmacist
Contents
• Introduction
• The main activities of community pharmacists
• Processing of prescriptions
• Care of patients or clinical pharmacy
• Extemporaneous preparation and small-scale manufacture of
medicines
• Alternative medicines
• Monitoring of drug utilization
• Responding to symptoms of minor ailments
• Informing health care professionals and the public
• Health Promotion
• Rational Use of Drugs
• Individualization of Drug
• Community Pharmacists Play Key Role in Improving Medication
Safety
• Conclusion
, Role of community pharmacist
Introduction
Community pharmacists are the health professionals most accessible to the public. They supply
medicines following a prescription or when legally permitted, sell them without a prescription. In
addition to ensuring an accurate supply of appropriate products, their professional activities also
cover counseling of patients at the time of dispensing of prescription and nonprescription drugs,
drug information to health professionals, patients, and the general public, and participation in
health-promotion programs. They maintain links with other health professionals in primary
health care.
Today, an increasingly wide range of new and analogous products are used in medicine,
including high-technology biological products and radio-pharmaceuticals. There is also a
heterogeneous group of medical devices, which includes some products analogous to medicines,
some of which demand special knowledge about their uses and risks (e.g., dressings, wound
management products, etc.).
Pharmacists have progressively undertaken the additional task of ensuring the quality of the
products they supply.
Community pharmacy practice evolved during the post-second World War period. Pharmacists
not only began to perform functions that were new to a pharmacy, but they began to innovate
functions and make an original contribution to literature. The popular motto of "patient-oriented
practice" and "drug use control" came into practice. But unfortunately, the role of the community
pharmacist is not so much recognized today, especially in Bangladesh, and needs strong efforts.
Although community pharmacist is of key importance in providing better healthcare, it is a
matter of shame for us that patient does not find any difference between the grocer and the
pharmacist. Despite of major role of community pharmacy, the situation and condition of the
community
pharmaceutical service have stood where it was like a man walking on a treadmill. He walks and
walks and sweats, but remains in the same place. Until and unless the link between the people
and physician i.e., the pharmacist does not get its proper recognition any dreams of making
Bangladesh, a healthier nation cannot be fulfilled.
The need of the hour is to make community pharmacists a key to better health care. The
community pharmacist can take part in health promotion campaigns, locally and nationally, on a
wide range of drug-related and health-related topics. Community pharmacist involvement could
play an important role in the following areas of health care.
Contents
• Introduction
• The main activities of community pharmacists
• Processing of prescriptions
• Care of patients or clinical pharmacy
• Extemporaneous preparation and small-scale manufacture of
medicines
• Alternative medicines
• Monitoring of drug utilization
• Responding to symptoms of minor ailments
• Informing health care professionals and the public
• Health Promotion
• Rational Use of Drugs
• Individualization of Drug
• Community Pharmacists Play Key Role in Improving Medication
Safety
• Conclusion
, Role of community pharmacist
Introduction
Community pharmacists are the health professionals most accessible to the public. They supply
medicines following a prescription or when legally permitted, sell them without a prescription. In
addition to ensuring an accurate supply of appropriate products, their professional activities also
cover counseling of patients at the time of dispensing of prescription and nonprescription drugs,
drug information to health professionals, patients, and the general public, and participation in
health-promotion programs. They maintain links with other health professionals in primary
health care.
Today, an increasingly wide range of new and analogous products are used in medicine,
including high-technology biological products and radio-pharmaceuticals. There is also a
heterogeneous group of medical devices, which includes some products analogous to medicines,
some of which demand special knowledge about their uses and risks (e.g., dressings, wound
management products, etc.).
Pharmacists have progressively undertaken the additional task of ensuring the quality of the
products they supply.
Community pharmacy practice evolved during the post-second World War period. Pharmacists
not only began to perform functions that were new to a pharmacy, but they began to innovate
functions and make an original contribution to literature. The popular motto of "patient-oriented
practice" and "drug use control" came into practice. But unfortunately, the role of the community
pharmacist is not so much recognized today, especially in Bangladesh, and needs strong efforts.
Although community pharmacist is of key importance in providing better healthcare, it is a
matter of shame for us that patient does not find any difference between the grocer and the
pharmacist. Despite of major role of community pharmacy, the situation and condition of the
community
pharmaceutical service have stood where it was like a man walking on a treadmill. He walks and
walks and sweats, but remains in the same place. Until and unless the link between the people
and physician i.e., the pharmacist does not get its proper recognition any dreams of making
Bangladesh, a healthier nation cannot be fulfilled.
The need of the hour is to make community pharmacists a key to better health care. The
community pharmacist can take part in health promotion campaigns, locally and nationally, on a
wide range of drug-related and health-related topics. Community pharmacist involvement could
play an important role in the following areas of health care.
