Jane Fern's Pharmacists Guide

Monday, October 5, 2009

Clinical Pharmacy

Clinical pharmacy is the branch of Pharmacy where pharmacists provide patient care that optimizes the use of medication and promotes health, wellness and disease prevention. Clinical pharmacists care for patients in all health care settings but the clinical pharmacy movement initially began inside hospitals and clinics. Clinical pharmacists often collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Clinical pharmacists have extensive education in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, sociobehavioral and clinical sciences. Most clinical pharmacists have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree and many have completed one or more years of post-graduate training (e.g. a general and/or specialty pharmacy residency). Many clinical pharmacists also choose to become Board Certified through the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) which was organized in 1976 as an independent certification agency of APhA (American Pharmacists Association). A pharmacist may become a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS), a Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP), Board Certified Nuclear Pharmacist (BCNP), Board Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist (BCNSP), or a Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) through the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialities (BPS). There are also subspecialties within the Pharmacotherapy specialty: Cardiology and Infectious Disease. It is denoted as an "Added Qualification" or AQ. In order to obtain one of these specialties you must first be a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and then submit a portfolio to the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties for review to determine if they will grant you the added qualifications.

Within the system of health care, clinical pharmacists are experts in the therapeutic use of medications. They routinely provide medication therapy evaluations and recommendations to patients and other health care professionals. Clinical pharmacists are a primary source of scientifically valid information and advice regarding the safe, appropriate, and cost-effective use of medications.

A more appropriate definition for clinical pharmacy is, "Clinical pharmacy is the branch of pharmacy which deals with various aspect of patient care, dispensing of drugs and advising patient on the safe and rational use of drug." In some states, clinical pharmacists are given prescriptive authority.

Basic components of clinical pharmacy practice:

1. Prescribing drugs
2. Dispensing and administering drugs
3. Documenting professional services
4. Reviewing drug use
5. Communication
6. Counseling
7. Consulting

Scope of clinical pharmacy:

Drug Distribution Systems
Drug Information
Drug Utilization
Drug Evaluation and Selection
Medication Therapy Management
Formal Education and Training Program
Disease State Management
Miscellaneous:Application of Electronic Data Processing(EDP).

Source: Wikipedia

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posted by Jane Fern Miranda at 8:22 AM

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