The New Roles for Community Pharmacists
Over the past decade, demand for community pharmacies has drastically increased. As a result in various markets, community pharmacists have been required to take on new roles.
The emergence of new pharmacy roles is an ongoing phenomenon. The new roles—from pharmacists in the front office, to pharmacists in the back office, to pharmacists in health care organizations, to pharmacist leaders—are created to meet the demands of the ever-changing healthcare sector.
Pharmacist Toolkit to take on an “Expanded Role”
1. Understanding the pharmacist’s role
2. The pharmacist’s role in medication adherence
3. The pharmacist’s role in disease prevention
4. The pharmacist’s role in patient education
5. The pharmacist’s role/counseling in medical device use
6. The pharmacist’s role and impact on medical device use in hospitals and clinics.
7. The pharmacist’s role in quality control of medical devices and inspections.
Community pharmacists that are interested in a career that offers a variety of opportunities, flexibility and skills, should seek to expand their role within a pharmacy. Pharmacists should be ready to take on new responsibilities and develop their professional skills within their practice.
As the community pharmacy profession continues to evolve, so must the pharmacist. We must continue to learn, challenge, and grow to meet the evolving needs of our patients, communities, and the profession.
Pharmacists should make themselves available to customers and patients on an on-going basis. Pharmacists should also be familiar with their local communities and government, as well as be aware of all the local issues that affect healthcare and pharmacy. Pharmacists should also make use of their skills as a member of a health promotion team to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.
Community Pharmacists Roles & Responsibilities
Community pharmacists are well-equipped to play a growing number of roles, such as:
1. Primary care practitioners
2. Policy experts
3. Giving Drug Information
4. Certification and training
5. Recruiting patients
6. Educating them about the benefits of healthy living
7. Helping patients or care-givers to manage their medication in a safe way.
8. Providing Immunizations
9. Providing Health Advice
10. Managing Medication Adherence
12. Counseling on proper use of medical devices (e.g. inhalation spacer)
13. Providing medication disposal information
14. Assisting in medication therapy management
15. Assisting in medical device maintenance and calibration (e.g. blood glucose monitor, BP apparatus)
Pharmacist Toolkit to take on an “expanded role” is just a beginning. As a pharmacist, you must also understand human nature, human psychology, use high impact communication and much more… to save drugs, and save lives.
Summary
As the community pharmacy profession continues to evolve, so must the pharmacist. We must continue to learn, challenge, and grow to meet the evolving needs of our patients, communities, and the profession. Pharmacist Toolkit to take on an “expanded role” is just a beginning. You must also understand human nature, human psychology, use high impact communication and much more… to save drugs, and save lives.
Bonus Topic
Community Pharmacy – Implementing Best Practices*
Community pharmacists are guided by a mission to ensure that their patients have access to the best possible healthcare. While this may sound like a simple, yet important role, there is a lot of work that goes into it.
*Bonus topics are selected based on our readers’ interest. You can read more in the future.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on PharmaRead are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency or organization. PharmaRead articles are provided for information only with a focus on global health, pharmacy practice, and healthcare systems in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs). Readers should seek expert opinion for use, implementation or application of this knowledge based on their individual circumstances.