Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve definite outcomes that improve a patient’s quality of life. These outcomes are:
• Curing a disease,
• Elimination or reduction of a patient’s
symptomatology,
• Arresting or slowing down a disease process,
• Preventing a disease or symptomatology.
Pharmaceutical care involves the process through which
a pharmacist co-operates with patients and other professionals in designing,
implementing, and monitoring a therapeutic plan that will produce specific
therapeutic outcomes for the patient. This, in turn, involves three major
functions:
• Identifying potential and actual drug-related
problems.
• Resolving actual drug-related problems.
• Preventing drug-related problems.
Pharmaceutical care is a necessary element of
healthcare and should be integrated with other elements. Pharmaceutical care
is, however, provided for the direct benefit of the patient. The pharmacist is
directly responsible to the patient for the quality of that care. The fundamental
relationship in pharmaceutical care is a mutually-beneficial exchange, in which
the patient grants authority to the provider and the provider gives competencies
and commitment (accepts responsibility). The fundamental goals, processes, and
relationships of pharmaceutical care exist, regardless of
practice-setting.
Medication is the most frequent intervention within
healthcare systems worldwide. Achieving
the best possible outcome of medication for the quality of life of patients
should be the primary aim of all health professionals involved in the
medication process, as well as caretakers and patients, depending on their
abilities and capacities.
Often, the benefits of medication cannot be realized
in patients (e.g. due to treatment failures), and even worse, considerable
mortality and morbidity are related to the
inappropriate use of medicine use, for example:
• Inappropriate prescription (“prescribing
errors”).
• Inappropriate delivery (“dispensing errors”/
“administration errors”).
• Inappropriate patient behavior (“non-adherence with
treatment regimen”).
• Inappropriate monitoring and reporting.
• Patient idiosyncrasy.
• Lack of (medication-related) health literacy in the
public.
Pharmaceutical care is a quality philosophy and
working method for professionals within the medication process. It is
indispensable for helping to improve the good and safe use of medicines, thus
realizing the best possible outcome of medicines for the patient. It contributes
to the optimization of outcomes from medicines and the prevention of harm and inappropriate
use. This is achieved through the promotion of medication-related health
literacy, the involvement and participation of patients in their medication,
and the assignment and acceptance of responsibilities appropriately within the
medication process. Together, these factors improve the quality of life of
patients and their families, the utilization of resources, and help reduce
inequalities in healthcare. By increasing the cost-efficiency of medicine use,
pharmaceutical care will contribute to the efficient and effective consumption
of existing resources.