engleski

Positive Effects of Pharmaceutical Care in the Rational Pharmacotherapy

The past five years in the health care environment are seen as a period of particularly drastic change that is likely to continue into the next century. The engines driving this change are innovative medicine, the arrival of generic drugs, greater public awareness of pharmaceuticals and escalating costs of health care (hospitalizations because of adverse effects, drug interactions, and associated morbidity and mortality). Many factors contribute to drug-related problems, including lack of awareness by the patient, drug interactions and noncompliance. Many preventable problems could be avoided by better patient information and improving monitoring, and could be minimized if pharmacist took an active role in monitoring for adverse drug reactions, drug interactions and noncompliance in ensuring a safe, appropriate, effective and economical use of drugs. Among other effects, of government cost-containment is the switch of prescription drugs to the over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, as a consequence, self-medication is gaining on significance. In of the view changes taking place in health care, close relationship and regular contacts must be maintained with pharmacists, physicians and patients. Thus pharmacist’s participation in the patient’s drug therapy has led to the development of the concept of pharmaceutical care. Pharmaceutical care entails designing, implementing and monitoring a therapeutic plan in cooperation with the patient and other health professionals, to produce specific therapeutic outcomes. Patient education and chronic disease monitoring are becoming two of most important functions performed by pharmacists. The system in which pharmacist works with other health care providers to identify any actual or potential drug therapy problems and to review and determine the best response to all the patient’s drug-related needs is referred to as ”comprehensive pharmaceutical care process” and has positive effects in rational pharmacotherapy.

Pharmaceutica care; Rational pharmacotherapy; Drug-related problems; Rx and OTC Drugs;

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