Abelson, R. & Singer, N. (August 13, 2010). Pharmacists take larger role on health team. New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2010, from HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com" http://www.nytimes.com.
This web article explains the expanding role of pharmacists in the care of their patients. Pharmacists are taking bigger and bigger roles in the life of americans. Various programs such as the “Wisconsin Pharmacy Quality Collaborative” are mentioned which is an association of health care providers and pharmacists who look to standardize medication therapy management and ensure quality care. They stress that pharmacists should talk one on one with their patients and ensure that they are taking their medication in a correct and safe manner.
Mitchener, S., & Work, D. (January 24, 2003) The role of patient counseling in preventing medication errors. Retrieved September 29, 2010, from HYPERLINK "http://www.ncbop.org" http://www.ncbop.org
The rate at which errors in prescription have been occurring has increased over the past couple of years. The main reason is because of the increased volume in prescriptions being filled by pharmacists around the nation. The study performed in this article analyzed cases documented in North Carolina Board of Pharmacy minutes from November 1999-2002 concerning violations of patient counseling rule as well as patient complaints and pharmacist errors.
Millonig, M., Jackson, & T., Ellis, W.(August 2002). Improving medication use through pharmacists’ access to patient specific health care information. Retrieved September 27, 2010, from HYPERLINK "http://japha.metapress.com/link.asp?id=f73n02644827707p" http://japha.metapress.com/link.asp?id=f73n02644827707p
This journal article shows the importance of pharmacists having access to patients medical information to provide better care for them. Pharmacists are an integral part in the education and protection of their patients just as doctors are. With access to patients medical information they can catch on to any potential side effects a particular medication can cause. In the long run this information can prove to be invaluable to not only a patients well being, but the pharmacist too.
Rupp, M. (1992). Value of community pharmacists’ interventions to correct prescribing errors. Retrieved September 25, 2010, from HYPERLINK "http://www.theannals.com/cgi/content/abstract/26/12/1580" http://www.theannals.com
This journal article provides an analysis on the economic value of community pharmacists who regularly screen and correct prescribing related problems. Three judges evaluated the pharmacist interventions on problematic prescriptions in five states. Their conclusion was that 28.3% of the identified problems could have resulted in moderate to severe patient harm if the pharmacist had not taken action to correct the prescription. They also concluded that clinical pharmacy services can and do make a different by enhancing the positive patient outcomes and reducing the negative.
The article greatly emphasized pharmacist intervention when prescribing medication. The role of todays pharmacists is expanding and increasing the percentage of happy patients and reducing the unhappy. If more pharmacists were to take charge in noticing all of the prescription problems, there would be healthier patients and less potentially life threatening side effects.
Schnipper, J., Kirwin, J., Cotugno, M., Wahlstrom, S., Brown, B., Tarvin, E., et al. (March 13, 2006). Role of pharmacist counseling in preventing adverse drug events after hospitalization. Retrieved september 25, from
HYPERLINK "http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/5/565" http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/5/565
This article describes an experimental project in which pharmacists are used to evaluate patients after they have been discharged from hospitals. 178 newly discharged patients received pharmacist counseling at the time of discharge and received a phone call three to five days later. The focus of the counseling was to clarify medication instructions, and try and notice any adherence and side effects. The results indicated a noticeable drop in adverse drug effects.
This article indicates that pharmacist intervention in newly discharged patients greatly decreases adverse drug effects. After most patients are discharged from a hospital they are given medication and left to fend for themselves. This can lead to medication tolerance and/or adverse side effects. With increased pharmacist participation, this article concludes that there was a lower rate of adverse drug events 30 days after hospital discharge.
Schommer, J., & Wiederholt, J. (1995). A field investigation of participant and environmental effects on pharmacist-patient communication in community pharmacies. Retrieved September 28, 2010, from HYPERLINK "http://www.jstor.org/stable/3766512" http://www.jstor.org/stable/3766512
This journal article focuses on a study in which to identify participant and environment variables that affect pharmacist-patient communication. The information was recorded from twelve community pharmacists and 360 patients.
Communication between pharmacists and patients is important for improving the health care of patients. “Pharmacy services add value to patient care... not only in improvements in clinical outcomes and patient compliance, but also reductions in health care utilization costs associated with adverse drug reactions.”
University at Buffalo (2010, January 4). Pharmacists improve care of diabetics while cutting costs, research shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 29, 2010, from
HYPERLINK "http://www.sciencedaily.com" http://www.sciencedaily.com
This article by the “University at Buffalo” shows the economic and patient benefits when a select group of diabetic patients are given unlimited access to pharmacists throughout their treatment.
“"Our results show that enhancing the patient's access to care through collaborative physician-pharmacist relationships can yield lower blood glucose levels, improve the overall metabolic profile and reduce costs to the payer," says Erin Slazak, PharmD, UB clinical assistant professor of pharmacy practice and board certified pharmacotherapy specialist.”
