introduction to community pharmacy

community pharmacy

• one of the most trusted and accessible health care professionals for many patients in the US

  • medication experts

  • counselors

  • medical advocates

• community pharmacies dispense medications and are not part of a hospital system or a physician’s office

• community pharmacies and pharmacy chains dispense nearly half of all retail medications in the US

• most can be classified as either chain or independent pharmacies

  • chain pharmacies are usually owned and operated by corporations

  • independent pharmacies are generally owned and operated by individuals

• employees include

  • pharmacist(s), interns, externs, registered pharmacy technicians, and state certified pharmacy technicians

pharmacy personnel

• pharmacists

  • PIC (pharmacist in charge)

  • staff pharmacist

• technicians

  • state certified

  • registered

• students

  • interns

  • externs

• other staff

  • clerks

pharmacist in charge

• pharmacist responsible for abidance to laws and guidelines within a single pharmacy

• still has some duties as pharmacist in addition to:

  • ensuring all employees are licensed properly

  • notifying the BOP of any changed in pharmacy ownership

  • preparing and filing reports required by state or federal agencies

  • responding to any violations

  • preparing written policies and procedures regarding pharmacy personnel

pharmacy technicians

• registered

  • high school diploma of GED

  • apply for license by LLR, specifically the south carolina board of pharmacy

  • duties

    • receive prescriptions (not oral)

    • data entry

    • filling of prescriptions

    • clerical duties

• state certified

  • high school diploma or GED

  • two years of college or technical school for pharmacy technician program

  • pass certification exam and complete 1,000 hours of experience as a licensed technician

  • duties:

    • duties of a registered technician in addition to receiving oral prescriptions and transfer prescriptions (non-controls)

pharmacy intern/extern

• student currently enrolled in pharmacy school

• duties:

  • can perform all duties of a certified pharmacy technician

  • reviews medication therapy

  • recommends medication therapy

  • provides counseling on medications (under supervision of pharmacist)

  • administer immunizations (with certification and under supervision of pharmacist)

• difference between interns and externs

  • internships can be paid and last for longer periods of time than externships which are always unpaid

national drug code

• 11 digit code assigned to a drug or product used to identify it

• first 5 digits = drug manufacturer

• middle 4 digits = device or drug

• last 2 digits = package size

• prescription (legend) drug requires a prescription from an appropriate healthcare professional

• nonprescription (OTC) drugs may be sold without a prescription

  • quantity limits or other restrictions may apply

what is a drug?

prescription

• definition

  • a lawful order from a practitioner for a drug or device for a specific patient, issued for a legitimate medical purpose within the prescriber’s course of legitimate practice and including orders derived from collaborative pharmacy practice

• requirements

  • date of issue

  • patient’s name and address

  • drug name

  • drug strength

  • dosage form

  • quantity prescribed

  • directions for use

  • number of refills authorized (if any)

  • practitioner’s name, address, and DEA registration number

  • manual signature of prescriber

AC

before meals

AD

right ear

AS

left ear

BID

twice a day

cap

capsule

Gtt

drop

HS

at bedtime

IM

intramuscularly

IV

intravenously

NKA

no known allergy

NKDA

no known drug allergy

OD

right eye

OS

left eye

PC

after meals

PO

by mouth

PR

rectally

PRN

as needed

Q

every

QD

daily

QID

four times a day

stat

immediately

TID

three times a day

compounding pharmacies

• pharmacies that make prescriptions not commercially available

• personalized formulations for patients

  • ex: creams, gels, suspensions, and lozenges

• do not make prescriptions in bulk but on a per prescription basis only

• regulated differently than a regular community pharmacy

mail order pharmacy

• centralized pharmacy that fills prescriptions

• may be located out of state

  • must abide by the mail order of pharmacy act of south carolina

  • if located out of state the pharmacy must be permitted in SC and the home state

• receive prescriptions, fill prescriptions, and deliver them to patients by mail