Health Care Careers Diagram and Summary
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Health Care Careers Diagram and Summary
Pharmacists play an important role in providing and supporting pharmaceutical care. Providing pharmaceutical care includes, but is not limited to, establishing patient relationships, obtaining medication history information, preventing, identifying and resolving medication related problems (MRP), dispensing medications, and educating and counseling patients and healthcare providers (japha, 2010). This paper highlights the pharmacist role in various services, the workforce roles within those services, and the impact pharmacists play in health care organizations.
Role of a Pharmacist Pharmacists interpret prescriptions and dispense medications prescribed by a credentialed provider. In cases where patients receive multiple medications, an in-depth understanding of drug interactions is required. Pharmacists monitor the pharmacologic effects of medications for certain disease states including, but not limited to, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, seizures, hyperlipidemia, anticoagulation, and infectious diseases. The rapid, dramatic advances in medication therapy created a niche for pharmacy practitioners that specialize in specific treatment and care (rheumatology, 2013).
Medication Therapy Management
Pharmacists have a broad knowledge base to assess and respond to a patient's medication therapy needs, thereby contributing to the inter-professional management of patients and optimal patient care. Medication therapy management (MTM) is a partnership of the pharmacist, the patient or their caregiver, and other health professionals that promotes the safe and effective use of medications and helps patients achieve the targeted outcomes from medication therapy (See Diagram). Population-based care
Pharmacists participate in medication management through involvement in pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committees of hospitals, health systems, and managed-care organizations. A key aspect involves development of protocols, guidelines, and formularies for directing safe and effective use of medications in a hospital setting. While patient safety and improved healthcare outcomes are the primary focus, pharmaco-economic aspects of drug therapy decision-making and contract pricing—generally coordinated by pharmacists—are integral to the pharmacy and therapeutics committee process; resulting in cost containment within the health system (japha, 2010). Workforce Roles
Pharmacists work in a wide range of settings, the majority of which provide services directly to patients. In 2006, about 62 percent of pharmacists worked in community pharmacies, about 23 percent worked in hospitals, and the remainder worked in nontraditional settings. Pharmacy practice varies, with more traditional (dispensing-focused) practice settings intermingled with approaches with expanded patient care services in, for example, community, hospital, and health-system settings. State practice regulations that determine the scope of pharmacy practice, differ somewhat between states. This ultimately determines how progressive pharmacy practice can be from state to state (japha, 2010).
Impact of the Role in Health Care Organizations
When medical errors are minimized the organization not only achieves cost avoidance but also establishes a reputation that is consistent to quality healthcare delivery. A community pharmacist affects the lives of the community in many ways. Educating the community in proper and correct way of taking prescriptions and its side effects increase awareness and prevention of (japha, 2010).
Impacts within Health Care Organizations
After physicians and nurses, pharmacists constitute the third largest group of health professionals. Pharmacists held about 253,000 jobs in May 2007 and employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 22 percent between 2006 and 2016, faster than the average for all occupations.+ + Consistently pharmacists rank as one of the most trusted health care professionals.+ Pharmacists are very accessible and compared to health care physicians, are visited twelve to fifteen times a year, compared with three to four visits for a physician visit.
Conclusion
The continuous evolvement in health care and pharmacy practice present many opportunities for pharmacists to expand functions and provide services outside of the traditional role. The profession of pharmacy achieves a pervasive model and standard of care determined patient needs and population trends. By exploring the various roles and services, analyzing the impact on health care organizations, the role of pharmacist continues to expand and evolve.

References
American Pharmacists Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2008; 48(3) p.341-53
Scope of contemporary pharmacy practice: Roles, responsibilities, and functions of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. (2003). Retrieved on October 20, 2013 from http://japha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1043725 The Role of the Pharmacist in the Management of Rheumatic Disease. (2010) Retrieved on October 22, 2013 from http://www.rheumatology.org/Practice/Clinical/Patients/Healthprofessionals/The_Role_of_t e_Pharmacist_in_the_Management_of_Rheumatic_Disease/
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