TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinical and other specialty services offered by pharmacists in the community
T2 - The international arena and Israel
AU - Schwartzberg, Eyal
AU - Nathan, Joseph P.
AU - Avron, Sivan
AU - Marom, Eli
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s).
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - The community pharmacy setting is a venue that is readily accessible to the public. In addition, it is staffed by a pharmacist, who is a healthcare provider, trained and capable of delivering comprehensive pharmaceutical care. As such, community pharmacists have a colossal opportunity to serve as key contributors to patients' health by ensuring appropriate use of medications, preventing medication misadventures, identifying drug-therapy needs, as well as by being involved in disease management, screening, and prevention programs. This unique position gives the pharmacist the privilege and duty to serve patients in roles other than solely that of the stereotypical drug dispenser. Worldwide, as well as in Israel, pharmacists already offer a variety of pharmaceutical services and tend to patients' and the healthcare system's needs. This article provides examples of professional, clinical or other specialty services offered by community pharmacists around the world and in Israel and describes these interventions as well as the evidence for their efficacy. Examples of such activities which were recently introduced to the Israeli pharmacy landscape due to legislative changes which expanded the pharmacist's scope of practice include emergency supply of medications, pharmacists prescribing, and influenza vaccination. Despite the progress already made, further expansion of these opportunities is warranted but challenging. Independent prescribing, as practiced in the United Kingdom or collaborative drug therapy management programs, as practiced in the United States, expansion of vaccination programs, or wide-spread recognition and reimbursement for medication therapy management (MTM) programs are unrealized opportunities. Obstacles such as time constraints, lack of financial incentives, inadequate facilities and technology, and lack of professional buy-in, and suggested means for overcoming these challenges are also discussed.
AB - The community pharmacy setting is a venue that is readily accessible to the public. In addition, it is staffed by a pharmacist, who is a healthcare provider, trained and capable of delivering comprehensive pharmaceutical care. As such, community pharmacists have a colossal opportunity to serve as key contributors to patients' health by ensuring appropriate use of medications, preventing medication misadventures, identifying drug-therapy needs, as well as by being involved in disease management, screening, and prevention programs. This unique position gives the pharmacist the privilege and duty to serve patients in roles other than solely that of the stereotypical drug dispenser. Worldwide, as well as in Israel, pharmacists already offer a variety of pharmaceutical services and tend to patients' and the healthcare system's needs. This article provides examples of professional, clinical or other specialty services offered by community pharmacists around the world and in Israel and describes these interventions as well as the evidence for their efficacy. Examples of such activities which were recently introduced to the Israeli pharmacy landscape due to legislative changes which expanded the pharmacist's scope of practice include emergency supply of medications, pharmacists prescribing, and influenza vaccination. Despite the progress already made, further expansion of these opportunities is warranted but challenging. Independent prescribing, as practiced in the United Kingdom or collaborative drug therapy management programs, as practiced in the United States, expansion of vaccination programs, or wide-spread recognition and reimbursement for medication therapy management (MTM) programs are unrealized opportunities. Obstacles such as time constraints, lack of financial incentives, inadequate facilities and technology, and lack of professional buy-in, and suggested means for overcoming these challenges are also discussed.
KW - Adherence
KW - Clinical services
KW - Community pharmacy
KW - Medications
KW - Pharmacist
KW - Rational drug consumption
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058771911&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s13584-018-0251-y
DO - 10.1186/s13584-018-0251-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 30501624
AN - SCOPUS:85058771911
SN - 2045-4015
VL - 7
JO - Israel Journal of Health Policy Research
JF - Israel Journal of Health Policy Research
IS - 1
M1 - 59
ER -