The Pharmacist Today

The Pharmacist Today

Historical Role

• Centered around dispensing medications based on prescriptions.

• Provided final checks to ensure accurate medication delivery to patients.

• Leveraged clinical knowledge for reviewing drug regimens to avoid inappropriate doses and minimize drug interactions.

• Involvement in long-term care (LTC) to perform drug regimen reviews since the 1970s to meet federal mandates.

Expanded Roles

• Since the 1960s, some pharmacists provide primary care and disease management services.

• Their roles continue to evolve and expand to include direct patient care (DPC).

Collaborative Care

• Pharmacists now collaborate as part of a patient care team (PCT).

• Important to understand the services they provide and their impact on improving care within the changing healthcare environment.