Getting the Most Out of Your Prescriptions
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure their safe, effective and affordable use. It is a cross-disciplinary science that links health sciences with pharmaceutical sciences and natural sciences.
As the healthcare industry evolves, the way in which patients receive their medication has changed as well. While traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacies are still a vital part of patient care, online pharmacies have emerged as an alternative that allows customers to receive their prescriptions without ever leaving the comfort of their homes. In addition, virtual services can provide a more cost-effective solution for individuals who are paying out-of-pocket for their medications.
In order to help you get the most out of your prescriptions, pharmacists are trained in a variety of areas including:
Verifying and interpreting your doctor’s medication orders. This includes checking your medication’s dosage, confirming it doesn’t interact with other medicines you take and explaining what to expect from each medicine. Providing expert health advice. This may include explaining how to properly use and store medications, helping you set up an exercise or diet plan and advising on the best way to manage your condition.
Offering vaccinations. This can include the flu shot, as well as various other vaccines. Creating customized medication mixes (compounding). This involves mixing ingredients to create a unique dose of your medication. It can also include delivering medication via intravenous therapy, an injection or a syringe.
Assisting with chronic disease management. This includes working with your doctor to develop a comprehensive treatment plan, ensuring you’re receiving the right dosages at the right time and helping you to understand what to do in an emergency situation.
Consulting with your doctor to review and update your prescriptions. This can be to help you achieve the best results from your treatment or to explore alternative therapies.
Educating your family and friends on how to best take your medicines. This may involve creating tailored patient leaflets and providing training on how to self-manage your condition.
The aging population is increasing the demand for pharmacy services, especially long-term care and geriatric pharmacists. Older patients often have complex drug regimens that require careful oversight. In addition, these individuals have increased medication risks, such as interactions with new medications or side effects from long-term use of older medicines.
In summary, the pharmacist is an important member of the healthcare team and their skills are widely used in hospitals and other health facilities. However, there are many areas of uncertainty about what exactly a pharmacist does on a day-to-day basis and how this knowledge is conveyed to the public.
As such, this article is intended to provoke discussion on this topic and to begin the process of gaining clarity in what we mean when we refer to a ‘pharmacy’. This is essential to the development of a more robust model for pharmacy practice locally and internationally. We hope it can act as a catalyst for enhancing the level of clarity in the definition of pharmacy as a profession, which in turn will benefit all aspects of healthcare.
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure their safe, effective and affordable use. It is a cross-disciplinary science that links health sciences with pharmaceutical sciences and natural sciences. As the healthcare industry evolves, the way in which patients receive their medication has changed as well. While traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacies are still a vital part of patient care, online pharmacies have emerged as an alternative that allows customers to receive their prescriptions without ever leaving the comfort of their homes. In addition, virtual services can provide a more cost-effective solution for individuals who are paying out-of-pocket for their medications. In order to help you get the most out of your prescriptions, pharmacists are trained in a variety of areas including: Verifying and interpreting your doctor’s medication orders. This includes checking your medication’s dosage, confirming it doesn’t interact with other medicines you take and explaining what to expect from each medicine. Providing expert health advice. This may include explaining how to properly use and store medications, helping you set up an exercise or diet plan and advising on the best way to manage your condition. Offering vaccinations. This can include the flu shot, as well as various other vaccines. Creating customized medication mixes (compounding). This involves mixing ingredients to create a unique dose of your medication. It can also include delivering medication via intravenous therapy, an injection or a syringe. Assisting with chronic disease management. This includes working with your doctor to develop a comprehensive treatment plan, ensuring you’re receiving the right dosages at the right time and helping you to understand what to do in an emergency situation. Consulting with your doctor to review and update your prescriptions. This can be to help you achieve the best results from your treatment or to explore alternative therapies. Educating your family and friends on how to best take your medicines. This may involve creating tailored patient leaflets and providing training on how to self-manage your condition. The aging population is increasing the demand for pharmacy services, especially long-term care and geriatric pharmacists. Older patients often have complex drug regimens that require careful oversight. In addition, these individuals have increased medication risks, such as interactions with new medications or side effects from long-term use of older medicines. In summary, the pharmacist is an important member of the healthcare team and their skills are widely used in hospitals and other health facilities. However, there are many areas of uncertainty about what exactly a pharmacist does on a day-to-day basis and how this knowledge is conveyed to the public. As such, this article is intended to provoke discussion on this topic and to begin the process of gaining clarity in what we mean when we refer to a ‘pharmacy’. This is essential to the development of a more robust model for pharmacy practice locally and internationally. We hope it can act as a catalyst for enhancing the level of clarity in the definition of pharmacy as a profession, which in turn will benefit all aspects of healthcare.