Benefits Of Pharmaceutical Care To The Pharmacist, Patient And The Government

Pharmaceutical care definition by Hepler and Strand in the 1990 was adopted worldwide. It became popular and was introduced into the first degree pharmacy curriculum. It heralded the beginning of a new era for the profession in which pharmacists are fully involved in the health care of the patient. With the rapid adoption and expansion of pharmaceutical care, so many questions arise. The most important of which is of what benefits is pharmaceutical care to the pharmacist? As the definition of pharmaceutical care shows that it is patient oriented, what is the importance to the patient? In this post, we shall see how both benefit from the adoption of pharmaceutical care. But before then, let us take a closer look at what pharmaceutical care is all about and what it came to solve.

Pharmaceutical care

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What Is Pharmaceutical Care

Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve the patients' quality of life. It is a patient-centered, outcomes oriented pharmacy practice that requires the pharmacist to work in concert with the patient and the patient's other healthcare providers to promote health, to prevent disease, and to assess, monitor, initiate, and modify medication use to assure drug therapy. The goal is to provide the information that encourages safe and appropriate use of medications, thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes.

Drug Therapy Problem

Before the introduction of pharmaceutical care, the medical doctor diagnosed and prescribed therapy including drug therapy. The pharmacist dispenses as instructed by the medical doctor. Without a second eye to vet the prescription, there occur lots of drug or medication therapy problems. Drug therapy problems (DRP) are defined as “problems in the pharmacotherapy of the individual patient that actually or potentially interfere with desired health outcomes.” Actual drug therapy problems are high risk therapy that must be withdrawn from the prescription while potential drug therapy problems are dangerous if something is not done about it. Among the most common DRPs are: adverse drug reactions, drug choice problem, dosing problem, drug-use problem and interactions.

Benefits Of Pharmaceutical Care

To The Patient

Since pharmaceutical care put into account the patient first including financial status and health goals, it improves patient care outcomes in clinical, humanistic, and economic:

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1. Cure rate

2. Reduction in target symptoms

3. Reduction in ADRs

4. Improves patient knowledge

5. Optimizes patient expectations

6. Enhances patient satisfaction

7. Improves quality of life

8. Prolongs life

9. Reduces hospitalization: frequency of visits and length of stay

10. Reduces cost of care to the patient

11. Frees man hour for patient to be more productive and earn more

To Pharmacy Profession

Since the introduction of pharmaceutical care, the pharmacy profession has witnessed a tremendous amount of recognition in the eyes of the public. This has saved the face of the profession from falling into oblivion.

1. Professional survival

2. Improves professional image 

3. Promotes professional growth & development

4. Enhances job satisfaction

5. Improves patient expectations & satisfaction with the profession

6. Provides additional earning by getting reimbursed from cost saving

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To The Government

We have seen that places like Lagos State of Nigeria that is at the forefront of adopting pharmaceutical care in their health institution has witnessed improve healthcare

1. Reduces escalating cost of care

2. Reduces burden on the healthcare delivery system

3. Enhances productivity through a healthy workforce