The Field of Pharmacy
The field of pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing, and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure their safe, effective, and affordable use. This includes knowledge of natural sciences, medical sciences, and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as a range of social and business skills.
Currently, there are a variety of different approaches to pharmacy education. The underlying principle in all these models is that a pharmacist must possess a broad range of professional skills and competencies, including subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and a wealth of practical experience.
This knowledge base is a critical part of the pharmacy profession, which has a moral and ethical responsibility to use its expertise for patient benefit. The question is whether this broad range of knowledge can be captured within a single academic discipline, or even within a single profession.
A basic five-year curriculum at a college of pharmacy in the United States teaches physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and more. The field of pharmacy also teaches a range of social and business skills, such as marketing, accounting, and computer techniques.
The practice of pharmacy dates back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian pharmacological texts such as the Ebers Papyrus and Edwin Smith Papyrus from 1550 BC, and Chinese manuals including the Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic), compiled in the 1st century AD, are evidence of early attempts at prescribing.
As the world’s population ages, the need for pharmacists will only increase, particularly as many elderly patients have complex medication regimens. In addition to their traditional role as dispensers of medication, pharmacists are a key component of care teams that help patients manage their health.
Pharmacy is a service industry, and as such must adapt to changing consumer demands. This has already started to happen as consumers have shifted their prescription drug purchasing habits to online pharmacies that offer convenience and lower prices. In fact, Forbes Health reports that there are now more than 500 million Americans who shop at an online pharmacy.
As the world of pharmacy adapts to new consumer demands, it is important for leaders in this field to recognize how these changes affect their roles and responsibilities. By establishing a clear definition of pharmacy, policy-makers can make informed decisions regarding the different aspects of the sector. This should also allow for more uniformity of pharmacy-related policies between countries. This will enable the development of a more integrated and collaborative approach to healthcare that is essential for the future of medicine.
The field of pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing, and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure their safe, effective, and affordable use. This includes knowledge of natural sciences, medical sciences, and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as a range of social and business skills. Currently, there are a variety of different approaches to pharmacy education. The underlying principle in all these models is that a pharmacist must possess a broad range of professional skills and competencies, including subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and a wealth of practical experience. This knowledge base is a critical part of the pharmacy profession, which has a moral and ethical responsibility to use its expertise for patient benefit. The question is whether this broad range of knowledge can be captured within a single academic discipline, or even within a single profession. A basic five-year curriculum at a college of pharmacy in the United States teaches physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and more. The field of pharmacy also teaches a range of social and business skills, such as marketing, accounting, and computer techniques. The practice of pharmacy dates back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian pharmacological texts such as the Ebers Papyrus and Edwin Smith Papyrus from 1550 BC, and Chinese manuals including the Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic), compiled in the 1st century AD, are evidence of early attempts at prescribing. As the world’s population ages, the need for pharmacists will only increase, particularly as many elderly patients have complex medication regimens. In addition to their traditional role as dispensers of medication, pharmacists are a key component of care teams that help patients manage their health. Pharmacy is a service industry, and as such must adapt to changing consumer demands. This has already started to happen as consumers have shifted their prescription drug purchasing habits to online pharmacies that offer convenience and lower prices. In fact, Forbes Health reports that there are now more than 500 million Americans who shop at an online pharmacy. As the world of pharmacy adapts to new consumer demands, it is important for leaders in this field to recognize how these changes affect their roles and responsibilities. By establishing a clear definition of pharmacy, policy-makers can make informed decisions regarding the different aspects of the sector. This should also allow for more uniformity of pharmacy-related policies between countries. This will enable the development of a more integrated and collaborative approach to healthcare that is essential for the future of medicine.