Thursday 10 November 2016

Pharmacist
Pharmacists, also known as chemists or druggists, are healthcare professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use. A pharmacist is a member of the health care team directly involved with patient care. Pharmacists undergo university-level education to understand the biochemical mechanisms and actions of drugs, drug uses, therapeutic roles, side effects, potential drug interactions, and monitoring parameters. This is mated to anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Pharmacists interpret and communicate this specialized knowledge to patients, physicians, and other health care providers.
Among other licensing requirements, different countries require pharmacists to hold either a Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Pharmacy, or Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Dispensing is an integral service provided by pharmacists as part of the Medication Management Cycle. The separation of prescribing and dispensing of medicines provides a safety mechanism as it ensures independent review of a prescription occurs prior to the commencement of treatment.
Medication Management Cycle
Step 1: The pharmacist will ask if you have visited this pharmacy before. If the answer is ‘No’, you will be asked to fill out a consent form. This allows the pharmacist to fill your prescription. If the answer is ‘Yes’, they will ask for an identifier (birthday or home address). This allows for an easy search within the pharmacy's computer system for your prescription records. You will then be asked if you have had this medication before, and what it is being used to treat. This information will allow the pharmacist to personalize your medication counsel when the medication is picked up.
Step 2: A Pharmacy technician will enter the prescription into your profile, checking the: doctor’s information, medication/dose, indications from the prescriber, and quantity of the script. The pharmacy system will check for possible interactions or other potential issues through the Nova Scotia Drug Information System.
Step 3: The medication bottle will be scanned and packaged with the Lot and Expiry. The medication is then counted for the designated quantity, labelled and handed off to the pharmacist to be checked.
Step 4: The pharmacist will perform a check of your medication, reviewing previous usage (if any), and information entered at the beginning work station. They will also print off counselling documents to provide the patient with more information on the medication.
Step 5: The patient will pick up their medication and have a quick conversation with the pharmacist to ensure proper communication and compliance.
A prescription (symbol: , representing the Latin imperative verb, recipe = take, take thou) is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other qualified health care practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient.[1] The term often refers to a health care provider's written authorization for a patient to purchase a prescription drug from a pharmacist.
The prescription gives the pharmacist details about the required prescription medicine including:
1.      The name of the medicine (its active ingredient name and/or brand name)
2.      Whether or not brand substitution is allowed – that means, if the pharmacist can give you an alternative brand of your medicine that contains the same active ingredient
3.      The form of your medicine – for example, tablets, liquid or cream
4.      The strength of your medicine – for example, 75 milligrams (mg) per tablet or 75 mg per millilitre (ml) of liquid
5.      Dosage of medicine you need to take – for example, one tablet once daily
6.      Other instructions for taking the medicine – for example, how long you need to take it for
7.      Quantity of medicine required – for example, 40 tablets
8.      Number of repeat prescriptions, if any, to be filled once the current prescription runs out.








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