What are the new tasks of pharmacists in the healthcare system?

The role of pharmacists in healthcare system was substantially expanded in the developed countries globally over the course of the last two decades. The contemporary global concept of pharmaceutical practice, so called Pharmaceutical care, requires a pharmacist, as an expert in the area of pharmaceutical products, to more actively engage in monitoring pharmaceutical prescribing, administration and treatment efficacy and safety. The role of pharmacists and doctors becomes equal, and they appear as a team in the effort to achieve the common and most important goal of all - optimal treatment of patients. This concept envisages a better pharmaceutical protection and care for patients.

‘The contemporary concept of pharmaceutical practice is focused on strengthening a direct pharmacist - patient relationship. Individual approach to patient is the path to successful treatment and the basis for conducting an efficient and safe pharmacotherapy, aimed at achieving maximum treatment results with minimum adverse effects’, Branislava Daskalović, M.Sc. Pharm., Regional Manager at Hemofarm, explained, and added: ‘Particular groups of patients such as pregnant women, children, patients with chronic diseases, or for instance patients with hepatic or renal impairment require specific attention in terms of both selection of the proper medicine and posology. On such occasions, special precautions must particularly be taken.’

Special Precautions for Adverse Effects

Pharmacist is obliged to take care of all risk factors related to individual patients and provide that basic precautions for safe use of medicines be taken when prescribing medicines. Certain medicines should be used only if the expected benefit of medicinal product administration outweighs the risk.

‘Adverse effects of medicines can be reduced to minimum by using the safest medicines from the relevant therapeutic group, by dose optimization, as well as by changing the method of administration. It is of particular importance to monitor patients who take newer-generation medicines, in order to detect possible adverse effects or unexpected events on time. ‘Pharmaceutical care’, a contemporary and expanded concept of pharmaceutical practice, requires a pharmacist to actively contribute to professional development of other healthcare providers as regards medicinal product efficacy and safety of their administration’, Daskalović pointed out.

Responsible Attitude of Patients to Treatment as an Imperative to Successful Therapy

The problem that healthcare professionals frequently face in Serbia is insufficiently responsible attitude of patients to therapy regimen instructions. An illustrative example includes persons suffering from high blood pressure, of which only every third person takes treatment in Serbia, and only every tenth person has adequately adjusted blood pressure. The effects of healthcare illiteracy can be very serious and dangerous.

‘When patients disregard doctor’s advice and do not take medicines as prescribed, the effects are dramatic. The rate of severe complications, disability, and mortality is on the rise. Healthcare statistics warns us that the untreated blood pressure causes 84% of strokes, and 2/3 of myocardial infarctions. Every fourth patient on dialysis suffered from unregulated blood pressure. Such scenarios can be successfully prevented nowadays, as pharmaceutical industry continuously develops highly-effective medicines, so that even the most severe cases of hypertension can be treated’, Daskalović added.

Healthcare Education and Closer Pharmacist – Patient Relationship as the Win-Win Combination

The contemporary global concept of pharmaceutical practice poses a challenge to a pharmacist to work more intensively with patients and the obligation to get actively engaged in the field of healthcare education. As a pharmaceutical professional, pharmacist is obliged to inform a patient in more detail about the importance of regular taking of therapy and the effects of failure to observe the specified instructions. According to Branislava Daskalović, M.Sc.Pharm., one of the key assumptions for the success of each treatment is that patients or patient custodians are duly informed how to use medicines and devices used for their administration in adequate way.

‘It is necessary to give them the opportunity to ask questions about therapy, ranging from the reason for prescribing specific medicines to the posology and method of administration. Healthcare education is tremendously important segment in the work of pharmacists and it is the best way for building up a positive and partnership relation between patients and healthcare providers’, Daskalović said.

The contemporary concept of pharmaceutical practice also requires a pharmacist to explore and master good communication skills and build with a patient the relationship, which is based on understanding, compassion, and availability. Pharmacist is also obliged to get actively involved in healthcare education of broader population, through the promotion of healthy life styles and disease prevention.

‘The traditional role of pharmacists in the preparation, distribution and dispensation of medicines has significantly changed and expanded in terms of providing better quality pharmaceutical-therapeutic services. The model of expanding the focus from medicine to patient assigns a pharmacist with the increased responsibility and broader obligations, but this is the way to achieve better protection and safety of patients’, Daskalović concluded.