Pharmaceutical Care

Pharmaceutical care is a type of structured medicine management that is based exclusively in the community pharmacies. It may be defined into three distinct steps, namely—

1. Assessment.
2. Development of a care plan, and
3. Evaluation.

Assessment: A pharmacist needs to assess that all the drugs prescribed for a patient is indicated, effective, safe and convenient to take, and to identify any potential therapy problem.

Development of a care plan: The objective is to resolve and prevent any drug therapy problem and to achieve therapeutic goals.

Evaluation: A pharmacist will record the patient therapy outcome, to evaluate progress to determine whether it will meet therapeutic goal, and to re-assess for any new problems.

An example of a pharmaceutical care deals with over-weighed (or obese) people. A designated area or room is required for private discussion. A pharmacist will interview an obese patient:

• To identify any medication problem.
• To make a structured assessment (that means pre-agreed protocol and   scope) of the patient’s prescribed medicines.
• Pharmacist will discuss with the patient’s doctor on topics such as—
• drug interactions;
• side effects;
• polymedics;
• whether a more effective regimen could be implemented.
• Pharmacist-patient interview/discussion should take place at regular intervals for the purpose of reviewing treatment.
• Pharmacist will advise the patient on how to use their medicines, and other steps they can take to cope with their conditions.
                      

Pharmaceutical care came into being as there were many patients who received less than optimal care because they found their medicines difficult to take or hard to remember. They did not have anyone to talk to about their medicines. Some of them had complicated regimes involving several drugs which were not reviewed or inadequately counseled.

Community pharmacists can play an important role in bridging this gap in the health delivery system because of their formal training in drugs and easy accessibility throughout the country. MCPA, other healthcare providers especially the doctors, and the Health Ministry will need to discuss on this matter in depth before Medicine Management Services in pharmaceutical care can be carried out on a nationwide scale for the people.

Other pharmaceutical care services are CSCSP program (a service to help the smokers to quit smoking), medication review for diabetic, cardio-vascular, and elderly patients. Different healthcare providers should work closely to bring quality lifestyle to these patients.

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