Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health, as well as sexual and reproductive health education.
Health education can be defined as the principle by
which individuals and groups of people learn to behave in a manner conducive to
the promotion, maintenance, or restoration of health. However, as there are
multiple definitions of health, there are also multiple definitions of health
education. The Joint Committee on Health Education and Promotion Terminology of
2001, defined Health Education as: "any combination of planned learning experiences
based on sound theories that provide individuals, groups, and communities
the opportunity to acquire information
and the skills needed to make quality health decisions."
The World Health Organization defined Health Education
as: "comprising consciously constructed opportunities for learning
involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving
knowledge and developing life skills which are
conducive to individual and community health."
A Pharmacist is well-informed and certified to prepare and dispense drugs and to afford the drug and associated information to the community. The demand for trained pharmacy professionals has dramatically increased in recent years due to the rapid growth of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, especially for the growing elderly population.
Role of a Pharmacist:
The future Pharmacists will have seven principal roles
to play:
• Caregiver
• Decision-maker
• Communicator
• Leader
• Manager
• Lifelong learner
• Role model
Health care system:
• Pharmacists play a vital role in the health care
system through the medicine and information they provide.
• While responsibilities vary among the different
areas of pharmacy practice, the bottom line is that Pharmacists help patients
get well.
• Pharmacist responsibilities include; a range of care
for patients, from dispensing medications to monitoring patient health and
progress to maximize their response to the medication.
• Pharmacists educate consumers and patients on the
use of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications and advise physicians,
nurses, and other health professionals on drug selection and utility.
• Pharmacists also provide expertise about the
composition of drugs, including their chemical, biological, and physical
properties and their manufacture and use.
• They ensure drug purity and strength and make sure
that drugs do not interact in a harmful way.
• Pharmacists are drug experts ultimately concerned
about their patient’s health and wellness.
The World health organization (WHO) report on “The
role of the Pharmacist in the health care system” states that the competence of
the Pharmacist is already proven and controlled.
• In health promotion and social responsibilities.
• In the direction and administration of
pharmaceutical services.
• In drug regulation and control.
• In the formulation and quality control of
pharmaceutical products.
• In the inspection and assessment of drug
manufacturing facilities.
• In the assurance of product quality through the
distribution chain.
• In drug procurement agencies.
• In National and institutional formulary & therapeutics
committees.
In health promotion and social responsibilities:
A Pharmacist has an important role to play in health promotion and primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, especially in the management of chronic diseases.