Patient Monitoring in Pharmacy - Essay Example

Patient Monitoring in Pharmacy Pharmacists today are responsible for ensuring the rational, safe and cost-effective use of drugs. Pharmacist dutiesinclude: participating in the drug use decision-making process; establishing therapeutic goals for each patient, selecting the appropriate drug dosage form, selecting the drug product source of supply, determining the dose and dosage schedule, preparing the drug product for patient use, providing the drug product and drug information to the patient, monitoring the patient to maximize compliance, monitoring the patient to detect adverse drug reactions and drug interactions, and monitoring the patient's progress to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Numerous drug therapy problems are recognized and corrected by pharmacists in their practices. Pharmacists work closely with the prescriber and patient to ensure proper and safe use of medications. Pharmacist should be involved in the monitoring of patients since the pharmacist are the one who handles the medication of the person. These can help the patient in recovering since there someone who will guide and instruct him in his medications. What is the importance in patient monitoring in Pharmacy Patient monitoring can be beneficial to patients who are suffering from cancers and other severe diseases.

Since pharmacist are the one who specializes in their medication it is best to be monitored by individual who knows what will happen if you where not able to take your medicine on time. The monitoring can also help in cases of side effects of medications. The pharmacy will be the one who checks your medications and monitor the availability of the medicines needed. For some it is not necessary to have a pharmacist monitoring their medication but once properly guided and oriented about the importance of monitoring, they will be able to understand the need for it.

How should a pharmacist organize a drug monitoring plan To organize the drug monitoring plan you need someone to handle the said monitoring. The plan should be a welcome plan to the pharmacist and the patient. A close relationship with the pharmacist must be the first thing to do. The pharmacist should be aware of the patient's condition. Proper instructions should be given to ensure that the medication is being followed closely. Educate patients with the possible side effects and drug interactions.

Pharmacist should welcome and answer all inquiries regarding the medication. It is the best way to get the trust of your patient. Since all the medication will be forwarded to the pharmacy it is but natural that the pharmacist will be the one who will handle the monitoring of the patient. Mutual agreement with the patient and pharmacist would help a lot in the monitoring. A proper recording of the history of the patient should be done, as to what is his medication before and his present medication to avoid drug interactions.

The pharmacist should be updated about the new medicines and other new products. In monitoring it is important that patient should coordinate closely with the pharmacist. As a future pharmacist, I believe that patient monitoring is possible even in a retail pharmacy. Patients discharge from the hospital will not be monitored by their doctor as to whether they have taken the right medicine or not. In a pharmacy all the questions about their medication will be asked thru the pharmacist. In a retail pharmacy, pharmacist are welcome to answer question and give guidance to their patients, even if they are not connected in a hospital, the pharmacist in a retail setting are also knowledgeable in all the medication given to a patient.

So it is Ok to have a monitoring plan in a retail Pharmacy. Pharmacist can ask the telephone number of the patient for follow up in replenishing his medication. This can be a sort of monitoring. Pharmacist can assist patient by proper instruction on the medicines dosage. Pharmacist in a retail pharmacy and in hospital pharmacy can monitor patients medication.