A pharmacy (commonly the chemist in Australia, New Zealand and the UK; or drugstore [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] in North America; or Apothecary, historically) is the place where most pharmacists practice the profession of pharmacy. It is the community pharmacy where the dichotomy of the profession exists—health professionals who are also retailers.
[link widoczny dla zalogowanych] Community pharmacies [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] usually consist of a retail storefront with a dispensary where [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] medications are stored and dispensed. The dispensary is subject to pharmacy legislation; with requirements for storage conditions, compulsory texts, equipment, etc., specified in legislation. Where it was once the case that pharmacists stayed within the dispensary compounding/dispensing medications; there has been an increasing trend towards the use of trained pharmacy technicians while the pharmacist spends more time communicating with patients.
All pharmacies [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] are required to [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] have a pharmacist on-duty at all [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] times when open. In many [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] jurisdictions, it is also a requirement that the owner of a pharmacy must be a registered pharmacist (R.Ph.). This latter requirement has been revoked in many jurisdictions, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] such that many retailers (including supermarkets and mass merchandisers) now include a pharmacy as a department of their store.
Likewise, many [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] pharmacies [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] are now [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] rather grocery [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] store-like [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] in their design. In addition to medicines and prescriptions, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] many now sell a [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] diverse arrangement of additional [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] household items such as shampoo, bandages, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] office supplies, candy, and snack foods.
Pharmaists distribute drugs prescribed by physicians and other [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. They advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. Pharmacists also monitor the health and progress of patients in response to drug therapy to ensure the safe and effective use of medication. Pharmacists must understand the use, clinical effects, and composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties. Compounding—the actual mixing of ingredients to form powders, tablets, capsules, ointments, and solutions—is a small part of a pharmacist’s practice, because most medicines are produced by pharmaceutical companies in a standard dosage and drug delivery form. Most pharmacists work in a community setting, such as a retail drugstore, or in a health care facility, such as a hospital, nu
rsing home, mental health institution, or neighborhood health clinic.
Pharmacists in community and retail pharmacies counsel patients and answer questions about prescription drugs, including [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] questions regarding possible side effects or interactions among various drugs. They provide information about over-the-counter drugs and make recommendations after talking with the patient. They also may give advice about the patient’s diet, exercise, or stress management or about durable medical equipment and home health care supplies. In addition, they also may complete third-party insurance forms and other paperwork. Those who own or manage community pharmacies may [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] sell non-health-related merchandise, hire and supervise personnel, and oversee the general operation of the pharmacy. Some community pharmacists provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] such as diabetes, as
thma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. Some community pharmacists also are trained to administer vaccinations.
Pharmacists in health care facilities dispense [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] medications and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] advise the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs. They may make sterile solutions to be administered intravenously. They also assess, plan, and monitor drug programs or regimens. Pharmacists counsel hospitalized patients on the use of drugs and on their use at home when the patients are discharged. Pharmacists also may evaluate drug-use patterns and outcomes for patients in hospitals or managed care [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] organizations.
Pharmacists who [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] work in home health care monitor drug therapy and prepare infusions—solutions that are [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] injected into patients—and other medications for use in the home.
Some pharmacists [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] specialize in specific drug therapy areas, such as [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] intravenous nutrition support, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] oncology (cancer), nuclear pharmacy (used for chemotherapy), geriatric pharmacy, and psychopharmacotherapy (the treatment of mental disorders by means of drugs).
Most pharmacists [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] keep confidential computerized records of patients’ [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] drug therapies to prevent harmful drug interactions. Pharmacists are responsible for the accuracy of every prescription that is filled, but they often rely upon pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides to assist them in the dispensing process. Thus, the pharmacist may delegate prescription-filling and administrative tasks and supervise their completion. Pharmacists also frequently oversee pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for graduation and licensure.
Increasingly, pharmacists are [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] pursuing nontraditional pharmacy work. Some are involved in research for pharmaceutical [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] manufacturers, developing new drugs and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] therapies and testing their effects on people. Others work in marketing or sales, providing expertise to clients on a drug’s use, effectiveness, and possible side effects. Some pharmacists work for health insurance companies, developing pharmacy benefit packages and carrying out cost-benefit analyses on certain drugs. Other pharmacists work for the government, public health care services, the armed services, and pharmacy associations. Finally, some pharmacists are employed full time or part time as college faculty, teaching classes and performing research in a wide range of areas.