Pharmaceutical Care Case Study

In recent years, the role of a pharmacist have increasingly develop from preparing and dispensing medication to a provider of services and information and finally evolved in becoming patient care provider. (who) In tandem with this, there has been shift in a pharmacy practice from its original focus on medicine supply towards a more inclusive focus on patient care. (1). The scope of pharmacy practice now includes patient-centred care with all the functions of providing drug information, monitoring the patient drug therapy, counseling as well as aspect of pharmaceutical services including medicines supply management. (who). This approach is known as pharmaceutical care. (who). According to Helper and Strand (1990), Pharmaceutical care is the…show more content…
The pharmacists counsel the patients on the correct method to take the medication, provide necessary screening for medication errors to improve the patient compliance and reduce adverse effect. Whereas, community pharmacists not only involved in dispensing doctor’s prescription for medicine but also to manage procure, store, sell, counsel, and advise patients or consumers on the over-the counter drugs, herbal medication, food supplement, and cosmetics. Community pharmacists also play an important role in the distribution of information regarding disease prevention and involved in promotion of wellness. In addition, community pharmacists should also be able to counsel patients or consumers on the use of certain medical devices and perform certain diagnostic test. 19(http://www.mps.org.my/index.cfm?&menuid=120) In short, government pharmacists involved in more legal environments which allow them to have complete control over the supply of medicines and chain-store pharmacies usually will offer a significant proportion of non-professional services and activities such as traditional professional services while smaller independent pharmacies focus normally on professional pharmacy services.…show more content…
Community pharmacists in community pharmacy face difficult choices between balancing the commercial and professional aspect of their profession. In most countries, community pharmacy operate on profit basis, therefore for to survive, profit is a must. Community pharmacist that placed profit before the consumers needs perceive as giving explanations on the use of medication as a waste of time and devote less time to patients. But community pharmacists failed to understand that patient-centred services will support positive consumer perception which in turn should provide financial stability in the long term. 9 First, from a business perspective, greater consumer’s satisfaction can be also translated into greater loyalty to a particular pharmacy and can facilitate better consumer-pharmacist communication. 13 Satisfied consumers may even be willing to recommend the community pharmacy services to others. 7. Secondly, from the clinical perspective, satisfied consumers tend to comply with medical regimen, participate in their own treatment and cooperate with their healthcare provides which facilitate the provision of pharmaceutical care.