Abstract

PHARMACEUTICAL CARE IN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND USA

S.Yordanova, V.Petkova*

Department of Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University-Sofia.

ABSTRACT

Background: Pharmaceutical care will become a standard of performance only when all pharmacists accept their social responsibility regarding the safe and effective drug therapy of each patient. Achieving therapeutic goals of pharmacotherapy requires collaboration between prescriber, pharmacist and patient to assess its precise drug therapy. Pharmaceutical care is aimed at providing drug therapy responsibly, to achieve specific results that increase the quality of life of the patient. Many studies have been published on the effects of pharmaceutical care. Objective: Pharmaceutical care is a philosophy of practice in which the patient is the primary beneficiary of the pharmacist’s actions. We conducted a comparative analysis of the supply, impact and experience of participating in pharmaceutical care services around the world. Setting: International pharmacy practice. Methods: The literature search was conducted in 2012.Researched materials based on literature review are: literature data based on keywords in scientific databases: Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, Springer and others, regulatory documents on national level and developed national guidelines on the nature of the Pharmaceutical care services. The collected information was statistically preceded by Microsoft Office Excel 2003. Main outcome measure: There were found 43 literature sources: 18 articles, 3 books, 10 regulatory documents, 6 guidelines on the nature of Pharmaceutical care services and 6 internet sites. Results: There is available data for 24 European countries, Australia, Canada and USA. In 16 of the countries examined there are legally regulated services directly communicating with the concept “Pharmaceutical care”. In 7 of the countries the patient is not charged for “Pharmaceutical care” and in 3 of the countries – the patient pays part of the cost. The pharmacist, providing the service is paid in 8 of the countries. The universities of 18 of countries have an advocated program of “Pharmaceutical care”. Conclusion: The review show huge differences in the definition, offering and applying the Pharmaceutical care services around the world. Important gains can be made by using existing resources more efficiently if the positive examples are applied, without increasing the resources for this service.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical care; Legislation; Pharmaceutical education; Pharmaceutical practice.