A review of American pharmacy: education, training, technology, and practice

Abstract

In the United States, pharmacists are responsible for the provision of safe, effective, efficient, and accountable medication related-care for hospital and health-system patients. Leveraging automated technologies, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacist extenders are the means through which efficient, effective, and safe medication use processes are created and maintained. These strategies limit the amount of pharmacist resources needed for nonjudgmental tasks such as medication distribution, allowing more capacity for advanced direct patient care roles.Pharmacists are directly integrated into interprofessional medical teams. Pharmacists optimize patient outcomes through a variety of channels, including: providing recommendations for evidence-based medication selection on patient care rounds; offering drug information to other health care providers and patients; monitoring therapeutic responses; and reconciling medications as patients transition across the continuum of care.Achieving the highest level of pharmacy practice necessitates that United States pharmacists are soundly educated and trained. Pharmacist education, training, and professional practice models closely mirror those of physicians. Many health-systems also pursue credentialing and privileging of pharmacists to ensure competency and facilitate growth and development. Advanced training, along with credentialing, privileging, and collaborative practice agreements have positioned pharmacists to serve as stewards of the medication use system, champions of patient safety, and essential contributors to optimal patient outcomes.

eHealth in the future of medications management: personalisation, monitoring and adherence

“…With increasing automation of dispensing, this has the potential to free up pharmacists’ time to spend in clinical roles such as talking to patients to support adherence. The role of the pharmacist is increasingly shifting from medication dispensing to the automation of pharmacy dispensing functions [26]. In addition to the ability to reduce transcription errors through electronic transmission of orders from the prescriber to the pharmacy, ePrescribing solutions can also support medication reconciliation, remote monitoring of adherence through refill tracking, and issuing of automatic refill alerts [27].…”

Using a Novel Student-centered Teaching Method to Improve Pharmacy Student Learning

“…[1][2][3] In pharmaceutical courses, the traditional teaching methods consist of lectures and direct instructions conducted by teachers.…”

Pharmacy Education Needs to Address Diagnostic Safety

“…Promoting and achieving competency in diagnosis is particularly important right now, as pharmacists are practicing in an expanding range of health care settings, and the profession is seeking "more advanced direct patient care roles." 12 Considering the cost of diagnostic errors both in dollars and in harm, the NAM asserted that "improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but it also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative." 11…”

“…Specifically, the NAM report has important implications for pharmacy education. Despite the many advances the pharmacy profession has realized, 12 for example in achieving advanced pharmacist practice stature and collaborative protocol legislation, the pharmacy profession still views itself as having just a supporting role in the diagnostic process.…”