Encyclopedia
Pharmaceutical services are activities of pharmacists in the healthcare system to obtain a measurable benefit, including providing access to high-quality medicinal products, subsequent rational management, as well as preventive medicine.
- pharmaceutical service
- pharmacy
definition
Pharmaceutical service can be defined as the activities of pharmacists in the healthcare system to obtain a measurable benefit. Apart from providing access to high-quality medicinal products and the subsequent rational management, pharmaceutical services also include preventive medicine.
1. Introduction
The provision of pharmaceutical services improves healthcare results and the quality of life of patients, and integrating these services with other healthcare services enables optimum use of the potential of pharmacies and pharmacists [14][1].
2. The Scope of Pharmaceutical Services
These activities support the healthcare system not only in disease prevention, but also in primary and specialist patient care (Table 1).
Table 1. The scope of pharmaceutical services and pharmaceutical care supporting primary and specialist healthcare.
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Pharmacist Role in Healthcare |
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Support in medical care |
Asthma |
- Monitoring the disease and therapy - Teaching inhalation techniques - Promoting compliance - Campaigns to identify non-controlled patients |
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
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Diabetes |
- Monitoring the disease and therapy - Promoting compliance - Campaigns to identify non-controlled patients |
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Dyslipidemia |
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Hypertension |
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Bleeding disorders |
- Monitoring the disease and therapy - Counselling or therapeutic education - Monitoring clinical parameters |
|
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Obesity |
- Counselling or therapeutic education - Monitoring clinical parameters - Campaigns to identify obese patients |
|
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Support in primary healthcare |
- Early diagnosis - Pain treatment - Monitoring depression therapy - Repeat prescriptions |
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Support in specialist healthcare |
- Dose adjustment of anticoagulants - Community pharmacies dispensing medications dispensed only by hospital pharmacies - Supporting patients in transition from hospital to outpatient treatment - Directly observed tuberculosis therapy - Early HIV detection |
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Mother and child health |
Pregnancy/ Breastfeeding |
- Counselling - Techniques of using care products for pregnant women and their babies - Pregnancy tests |
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Children |
- Counselling - Techniques of using care products for children |
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|
Comprehensive interventions |
Prescribing or administering medications |
- Medications (including injections) - First aid - Vaccinations |
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Assistance in home/nursing home therapy |
- Counselling, consultations, monitoring - Home delivery of medications |
|
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Counselling |
- Dermocosmetics/Medical devices - OTC medicines - Dietary supplements - Veterinary medications |
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Sun protection |
- Counselling and campaigns |
|
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Prevention programs |
- Syringe exchange - Quitting smoking - Vaccinations |
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Related to medications |
- Education and improvement of health competences - Interventions increasing treatment adherence - Multiple doses of medications - Medication reviews - Home medicine cabinet reviews - Identifying drug interactions - Supervision over pharmacovigilance - Drug disposal programs |
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Source: Felix J, Ferreira D, Afonso-Silva M, Gomes MV, Ferreira C, Vandewalle B, Marques S, Mota M, Costa S, Cary M, Teixeira I, Paulino E, Macedo B, Barbosa CM. Social and economic value of Portuguese community pharmacies in health care. BMC Health Serv Res 2017;17:606; Antczak A, Balcerzak M, Byliniak M, Czech M, Drozd M, Merks P. Szczepienia przeciw grypie w aptekach. Raport opieka farmaceutyczna. Fundacja Nadzieja dla Zdrowia, Warszawa, 2020.
References
- Joanna C Moullin; Daniel Sabater-Hernández; Fernando Fernandez-Llimos; Shalom I. Benrimoj; Defining professional pharmacy services in community pharmacy. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy 2013, 9, 989-995, 10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.02.005.
