PharmacyandthePublicsHealth

LeydiMartinez
LeeHighSchool
April18,2016


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LeydiMartinez
PeteFoote
SeniorCapstone
April18,2016
PharmacyandthePublicsHealth
Morethanfourdecadeshavepassedsincetheoldpharmaceuticalpracticeofsupplying
medicinehavedevelopedintoamorefocusedpatientbasedcare(Wiedenmayeretal.,2006).
Pharmaceuticalpracticebecameagreaterpartofthepublichealthbynotonlysupplyingbutby
makingsurethatallthedrugsarethesafestaswellasthemosteffective,andalsoprovide
patientswiththemostappropriatetherapy.Pharmaceuticalshaveamajorimpactonpublichealth
becauseofthetechnologythathasbeengettingbetterthroughouttheyears.Thepublichealthhas
benefitedfrompharmaceuticalpracticesbecauseofitsdevelopmentthroughtheyearsnotonly
throughtechnologybutaswellaswithpatienttherapy.
TheAmericanHealthAssociationhasalwayssupportedpharmaceuticalpractices
becauseofitsimportanceinthepublichealth,withoutitthepublicwouldnothavemedications
totreattheirillnessesoranyotherservicestheyprovide,suchaseducationonthedifferent
medications.Mostpeopleinthisworldwillneedorrequiremedicationatsomepointandthe
pharmaceuticalcarehasbeenaroundforalongtimeanditcontinuestodeveloptothisday.
Theseservicesaremandatorytokeepthepublichealthyandstrong,toliveafullandlong
healthylife(
TheAmericanHealthAssociation
,2006).Thereareanumberofwaysinwhich
pharmacistsprovidepatientcare,suchaspharmacotherapy,accesstocare,andprevention
services.Pharmacistsnotonlydispensemedication,theyalsoareaviableresourcewhenit


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comestodruginformation,whichisveryusefulinpreventingpotentialallergicreactionsin
variousmedicationsandensuringpatientsafety.Pharmacistscanalsoadvisepatientstocommon
sideeffectsanddruginteractionsbasedonthepatient'shistory.
Overthepastfourtofiveyearstechnologyhasdevelopedintoaveryimportanttoolnot
onlyasaglobalcommunicationorwideresearchbutalsoasahealthcaretool.Pharmaceutical
practiceshavedevelopedmorebecauseoftechnologyanditbenefitsofautomatedinformation
processing(Smith,2014).Technologyhelpspharmacistsbemoreincontactwiththeirpatients
andalsoithelpsthemgetthroughtheprocessofcountingmedicationsandbottlingthemeasier.
Thetechnologythatpharmacistusehastobeveryefficient,fastandaccurateinordertoactually
bepartofthepharmacy(
PharmacyTimesTV
,
2012).Technologyisabigtoolforpharmacists
thatworkinhospitalsbecauseitgivesthemtimetodealwithmultiplecasesbecausetheyhave
technologyavailable.Inmosthospitalspharmacistshaveasystemwheretheyareabletocheck
iftheyhavetherightmedication,therightdosageandwherethemedicationneedstogo.This
showshowtechnologyisverynecessaryinordertomakepharmacistmoreefficientandtohelp
thepublichealthinamuchfasterandaccurateway

(
intelligenthospital.tvIHTV
,
2013).
Thedifferenttechnologyandexpertisethepharmacistsprovidenowhasincreasingly
improvedthepublicshealthforalongtime.Notonlyhavetheybeenusingbettertechnology
andhavemoreexperience,theyhavealsocontributedmorewiththeirpatientshelpingdifferent
peopleunderstandthemedicationstheyaretaking,howitsgoingtohelpthemgetbetter,aswell
asthesideeffectsandanyotherquestionstheymighthavearealwaysansweredandassuredby
pharmacists.Nowthatyouknowalltheimprovementsthepharmaceuticalindustryhasmadeand


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howithasalsoimprovethehealthofmillionsofpeopleitstimetogetinsightfromthereal
peoplethataresufferingfromillnessesandusethepharmacyasatooltoimprovetheirhealth.
Peopleallaroundtheworldseekmedicationinordertoimprovetheirhealth,andfor
manyotherreasons.Mostpeoplegettheirmedicationsprescribedbyadoctorwhichthenthey
takeittothenearestpharmacyandtheycanthengettheirmedicationfastandeasy.Peoplealso
gotopharmacyswhentheyneedothermedicationsthatarenotprescribedsuchascold
medicineandpainkillersthesearesomeofthereasonswhythepublicreallyreliesandis
benefitedbythepharmaceuticalpractice.Thepharmaceuticalindustryalsoprovidesdifferent
rolesthatthepublichealthtakesasaverybigadvantage.Role1:
Prepare,obtain,store,secure,
distribute,administer,dispenseanddisposeofmedicalproducts,Role2:Provideeffective
medicationtherapymanagement,Role3:Maintainandimproveprofessionalperformance,Role
4:Contributetoimproveeffectivenessofthehealthcaresystemandpublichealth(
Geneva,
2011).
Therolespharmacistshavemakeabigimpactinthepublic'shealthbecausetheyare
providingagreatservicetotheelderlyandthepeoplethatarereallyillandfrequentlyarein
needofmedicationbecauseitstheirsourceforbetterhealth.Thepharmacysbiggestcustomer
istheelderlybecausetheyalwaysareinneedofdifferentmedication.Theiragegroupandhow
theirbodiesarechangingandslowlyshuttingisthebiggestreasonswhytheyarealwaysinneed
ofmedications.NancyVanTill,aregisteredpharmacistsaid,Theelderlyarewelltakencareof
bythepharmacy,thepharmacistsarealwaysavailabletogivethemtheirmedicationsand
remindershowtotakethemedicationproperlyaswellasremindthemwhentotakethem
(NancyVanTill).


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Thepublichealthisingoodhandswhenitcomestoprescriptiondrugsandother
medicationsbecausetheyhavethebestresourceavailable.Theretailpharmacyisoneofthebest
placestonotonlyobtainprescriptionmedicationsbuttoconsultwithpharmacistsduring
pharmacotherapymeeting,havingaccesstopersonalhealthcaretips,andpreventionservices.
Technologyhasimpactedpharmacybyautomatingthedispensingofmedicationsandbymoving
allrecordsovertoadigitalformatforeasierreferencingandaccesstoallhealthcare
professionals.Itissafetosaythatthepharmaceuticalindustryisanimportantassettothe
publicshealthandwillalwaysbe.


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WorkCited
Artpro2201."TheIntelligentHospitalPharmacyintheIntelligentHospitalPavilionat
HIMSS13."
YouTube
.YouTube,03May2013.Web.26Mar.2016.
<
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5IGrqpTd0g
>.
Geneva,Harry.
GoodPharmacyPractice
.N.p.,2011.Journal.26Mar.2016.
Hernandez,AllanJ.
TheRoleofthePharmacistinPublicHealth
.N.p.,15Nov.20012.Web.26
Mar.2016.
PharmacyTimesTV."TheGrowthofTechnologyinPharmacy."
YouTube
.YouTube,01Oct.
2012.Web.26Mar.2016.<
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQMfuzL_qs
>.
Smith,StephenG.
ExaminingtheRoleofNewTechnologyinPharmacy:NowandintheFuture
.
N.p.,11Feb.2014.Web.26Mar.2016.
VanTill,Nancy."Pharmacy."Personalinterview.06April.2016.
Wiedenmayer,Karin,RobS.Summers,ClareA.Mackie,AndriesGous,andMartheEverard.

DevelopingPharmacyPracticeAfocusonPatientCare
.2006thed.N.p.:WorldHealth
OrganizationandInternationalPharmaceuticalFederation,2006.N.pag.Print.