Community Pharmacy: Avenue & advent

As

one of

the primary

health care providers in

the community, pharmacists

have the opportunity to

influence patients’

perception of

their mental illness.1

“Community pharmacies usually consist of a retail storefront with a dispensary where 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.” 2

The necessity to improve the pharmacy practices on professional scales cannot be ignored nor delayed in the context of emerging changes, when India is becoming a fast developing nation in the world.3

Every day, the pharmacist is asked by customers for advice about minor ailments. They may require advice on symptoms; may ask for a medicine by brand name; may require general health advice e.g. about dietary supplements, precautions etc. The pharmacist's role in responding to symptoms and overseeing the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines is substantial and requires a mix of knowledge and skills in the area of diseases and their treatment.

Today, greater responsibility is placed on community pharmacists for the education of patients than ever before.

Community pharmacists and their staff are highly trained professionals who act as a first port of call for many health issues. They are able to provide you with direct advice, information or treatments as well as refer you to other appropriate health professionals or community services if required.

In addition to advice, community pharmacists can provide you with written Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) about the medicines you use. Your pharmacist can also provide other tools to assist with your medicine management such as dose administration aids. In addition, upon referral from your GP (General Physician), they can also come to your home to discuss all of the medicines you may be using. This is called a Home Medicine Review (HMR).

The scope of community pharmacy practice has advanced with the advent of many pharma based services and collaborative practice agreements. The standards emphasize the need for students to focus on the provision of patient-centered and population-based care in both institutional and community settings. While opportunities currently exist for students to intensively focus on the development of these skills in institutional and ambulatory care settings, opportunities are limited for an equivalent experience in the community setting.

Over the next few years, community pharmacy will take on more of a role in helping you and your GP monitor and manage chronic diseases such as Asthma and Diabetes. In these cases, your pharmacist may provide you with ongoing medication advice, support and assistance in self management of chronic conditions. Shortly, community pharmacists may also be able to provide you with a medication profile, which provides a handy, plain English summary and description of your medications.

The commitment of providing professional advice and quality service is evident for the support of the Quality Care Pharmacy Program, which can be designed to set professional standards and procedure benchmarks within the pharmacy industry. Community Pharmacy also has a strong community focus, and can have sponsorship of surrounding clubs, schools and community groups etc.

MTM in community pharmacy includes five core components, described below:4

• Medication therapy review,

• A personal medication record,

• A medication action plan,

• Intervention and referral, and

• Documentation and follow-up.

Indian Pharmaceutical Association: Community Pharmacy Division is doing a good job to bring the community pharmacy in effect in India & also carrying out various activities to support the community pharmacy movement. 5

http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/55/12/1434.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacy#Community_pharmacy
http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=19624&sectionid=46
http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Pharmacy_Practice2&TEM...
http://www.ipapharma.org/Forms/CommunityPharmadivisions.aspx