Pharmacist 192605 224853239 2008-07-10T18:32:41Z Skittleys 1292981 /* Specialties */ wikilink to hospital pharmacy {{for|the precursor profession|Apothecary}} [[Image:PharmacistsMortar.svg|right|200px|thumb|The [[mortar and pestle]] is an international symbol of pharmacists and pharmacies.]] '''Pharmacists''' are [[health profession]]als who practice the art and science of [[pharmacy]]. In their traditional role, pharmacists typically take a request for [[medicine]]s from a prescribing health care provider in the form of a [[medical prescription]] and dispense the medication to the [[patient]] and counsel them on the proper use and adverse effects of that medication. In this role, pharmacists ensure the safe and effective use of medications. Pharmacists also participate in disease state management, where they optimize and monitor drug therapy – often in collaboration with physicians and/or other health professionals. Pharmacists have many areas of expertise and are a critical source of medical knowledge in clinics, hospitals, and community pharmacies throughout the world. Pharmacists are sometimes [[small business|small-business]] owners, owning the pharmacy in which they practice. Their specialized knowledge as skilled professionals makes them a vital part of any healthcare team. They act as a learned intermediary between patients and other healthcare providers to ensure that proper medical therapy is chosen and implemented in the best way possible. Pharmacists are sometimes referred to as [[dispensing chemist|'''chemists''' (or '''dispensing chemists''')]], which sometimes causes confusion with scientists in the field of [[chemistry]]. This term is a historical one, since pharmacists originally were required to complete an [[undergraduate]] [[academic degree|degree]] in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (PhC) and were known as "Pharmaceutical Chemists". ==Roles== Pharmacists are trained in [[pharmacology]], [[pharmacognosy]], [[chemistry]], [[pharmaceutical chemistry]], [[microbiology]], [[pharmacy practice]] (including drug [[interaction]]s, medicine monitoring, medication management), [[pharmaceutics]], [[pharmacy law]], [[physiology]], [[anatomy]], [[biochemistry]], [[kinetics]], [[nephrology]], [[hepatology]], and compounding medications. Additional curriculum covers basic diagnosis with emphasis on disease state management, therapeutics and prescribing (selecting the most appropriate medication for a given patient). One of the most important roles that pharmacists are currently taking on is one of pharmaceutical care. Pharmaceutical care involves taking direct responsibility for patients and their disease states, medications, and the management of each in order to improve the outcome for each individual patient. Pharmaceutical care has many benefits that include but are not limited to: *Decreased medication errors *Increased patient compliance in medication regime *Better chronic disease state management *Lessen cost of insurance *Strong pharmacist-patient relationship Pharmacists are often the first point-of-contact for patients with health inquiries. This means that pharmacists have large roles in the assessing medication management in the [[primary care]] of patients. These roles may include, but are not limited to: *clinical medication management *the assessment of patients with undiagnosed or diagnosed conditions and for decisions about the clinical medication management required. *specialized monitoring of disease states *reviewing medication regimens *monitoring of treatment regimens *delegating work *general health monitoring *compounding medicines *general health advice *providing specific education to patients about disease states and medications *oversight of dispensing medicines on prescription *provision of non-prescription medicines *counseling and advice on optimal use of medicines *advice and treatment of common ailments *referrals to other health professionals if necessary *dosing drugs in renal and hepatic failure *pharmacokinetic evaluation *education of physicians and other health care providers on medications and their proper use *limited prescribing of medications only in collaboration with other health care professionals *providing pharmaceutical information *promoting public health by administering immunizations In some states, pharmacists have prescriptive authority to either independently prescribe under their own authority or in collaboration with a primary care physician through an agreed upon protocol. ==Qualifications and registration== {{main|Pharmacy school}} The requirements of pharmacy education, pharmacist licensure and post-graduate continuing education vary from country to country and between regions/localities within countries. In most countries, prospective pharmacists study [[pharmacy]] at a [[pharmacy school]] or related institution. Upon graduation, they are licensed either nationally or by region to dispense medication of various types in the settings for which they have been trained. ==Specialties== ===Practice specialization=== Specialties exist within the pharmacy profession, with the place of occupation being the major differentiator. Specialties include: *Academic pharmacist *[[Clinical pharmacy|Clinical pharmacist]] (consisting of many subspecialties such as Pediatrics, Geriatrics, etc.) *Community pharmacist *[[Compounding|Compounding pharmacist]] *[[Consultant pharmacist]] *Drug information pharmacist *Home Health pharmacist *[[Hospital pharmacy|Hospital pharmacist]] *Industrial pharmacist *Nuclear Pharmacist *Oncology Pharmacist *Regulatory-affairs pharmacist *[[Veterinary pharmacist]] *[[Clinical Pathology|Pharmacist Clinical Pathologist]] ===Specialty practice accreditation=== ====Australia==== In [[Australia]], accreditation exists only for certain specialties and is provided by professional bodies for the following: *[[Consultant Pharmacist]] (AACPA), by the [[Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy]] (AACP) *Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP), by the [[Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy]] in conjunction with the [[Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia]] [http://www.shpa.org.au/docs/cgp.html] ====France==== * [[Biological pharmacist]] * [[Hospital pharmacy|Hospital pharmacist]] ====Portugal==== In [[Portugal]] a pharmacist can become certified in recognized professional specialty practice areas by passing an examination administered by the Order of Pharmacists. The Order of Pharmacists certifies pharmacists in four specialties: *[[Pharmaceutical Industry]] *[[Hospital pharmacy]] *[[Biological pharmacist|Clinical Analysis]] *[[Regulatory Affairs]] ====United States==== In the [[United States]], a pharmacist can become certified in recognized specialty practice areas by passing an examination administered by one of several credentialing boards. *The Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties<ref>[http://www.bpsweb.org/ Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties]</ref> certifies pharmacists in five specialties: **[[Nuclear pharmacy]] **[[Nutrition]] support pharmacy **[[Oncology]] pharmacy **[[Pharmacotherapy]], which has two subspecialties: ***[[Cardiology]] ***[[Infectious disease]] **[[Psychiatry|Psychiatric]] pharmacy *The [[Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy]] certifies pharmacists in [[geriatrics]] specialty practice. *The [[American Board of Applied Toxicology]]<ref>[http://www.clintox.org/Abat/ ABAT Certification Examination Credentialling Information]</ref> certifies pharmacists and other medical professionals in applied [[toxicology]]. ==History== In ancient Japan, the men who fulfilled roles similar to those of modern pharmacists were highly respected. The place of pharmacists in society was settled in the [[Taihō Code]] (701) and re-stated in the [[Yōrō Code]] (718). Ranked positions in the pre-[[Heian period|Heian]] Imperial court were established; and this organizational structure remained largely intact until the [[Meiji Restoration]] (1868). In this highly stable hierarchy, the pharmacists -- and even pharmacist assistants -- were assigned status superior to all others in health-related fields such as physicians and acupuncturists. In the Imperial household, the pharmacist was even ranked above the two personal physicians of the Emperor.<ref>Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) [http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran#PRA1-PA434,M1 ''Annales des empereurs du japon,'' p. 434.]</ref> ==See also== {{Wikiversity|Pharmacy}} *[[Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy]] *[[Consultant pharmacist]] *[[Dispensing chemist]] *[[List of pharmacists]] *[[List of pharmacy associations]] *[[List of pharmacy schools]] *[[Pharmacists for Life International]] *[[Pharmaconomist]] *[[Pharmacy]] *[[Pharmacy technician]] *[[Pharmacy residency|Resident in pharmacy]] *[[Veterinary pharmacist]] ==External links== * [http://www.acpi.in Association of Community Pharmacists of India(ACPI)] * {{dmoz|Health/Pharmacy/|Pharmacy}} * [http://www.fip.org International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)] * [http://www.vpep.net RPSGB Veterinary Pharmacist Education Programme (VPEP)] * [http://www.ipsf.org International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF)] ==References== {{reflist|2}} * {{ja icon}} Asai,T. (1985). ''Nyokan Tūkai''. Tokyo: Kōdan-Sha. * {{fr icon}} [[Isaac Titsingh|Titsingh]], Isaac, ed. (1834). [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo/[[Hayashi Gahō]], 1652], ''[[Nipon o daï itsi ran]]; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon.'' Paris: [[Royal Asiatic Society|Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland]].[http://books.google.com/books?id=18oNAAAAIAAJ&dq=nipon+o+dai+itsi+ran ...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in French)] [[Category:Healthcare occupations]] [[Category:Pharmacy]] [[ar:صيدلي]] [[ca:Farmacèutic]] [[da:Farmaceut]] [[de:Apotheker]] [[es:Farmacéutico]] [[fr:Pharmacien]] [[gl:Farmacéutico]] [[id:Apoteker]] [[ia:Pharmaceutico]] [[he:רוקח]] [[hu:Gyógyszerész]] [[nl:Apotheker]] [[ja:薬剤師]] [[no:Farmasøyt]] [[nds:Aftheiker]] [[pl:Farmaceuta]] [[pt:Farmacêutico]] [[qu:Hampiqhatuq]] [[sv:Apotekare]] [[th:เภสัชกร]] [[vi:Dược sĩ]] [[tr:Eczacı]] [[zh:藥劑師]]