According to the Ohio Revised Code, the practice of pharmacy means…
“Providing pharmacist care requiring specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill derived from the principles of biological, chemical, behavioral, social, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences.”
Then, how is “pharmacist care” defined in the State of Ohio?
Pharmacist Care
- Interpreting prescriptions
- Dispensing drugs and drug therapy related devices
- Compounding drugs
- Counseling individuals with regard to their drug therapy, recommending drug therapy related devices
- Assisting in the selection of drugs and appliances for treatment of common diseases and injuries
- Providing instruction in the proper use of the drugs and appliances
- Performing drug regimen reviews with individuals
- Discusses all of the drugs that the individual is taking
- Explaining interactions between drugs
- Performing drug utilization reviews (DURs)
- Occurs when the pharmacist determines that an individual with a prescription has a drug regimen that warrants additional discussion with the prescriber
- Advising an individualized therapy
- Acting pursuant to a consult agreement with a physician to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery, if an agreement has been established with the physician
- Engaging in the administration of immunizations
What is Pharmacist Provider Status?
- Pharmacists are currently not listed as providers in Medicare Part B
- This limits Medicare beneficiaries from being covered for pharmacy services in outpatient pharmacy settings, and limits pharmacists from being compensated for their services
- Achieving provider status is important because pharmacists play an important role in improving patient health outcomes and reducing overall healthcare costs
- Without provider status, the beneficial services that pharmacists provide are less accessible to patients
- Currently, there is a movement to win provider status for pharmacists in the US
As a Pharmacy Student, What is the Role of a Pharmacy Intern?
Assisting a pharmacist with technical functions, perform the following professional functions under the direct supervision of a pharmacist:
- Sale of schedule V controlled substances
- Receipt of oral prescriptions
- Transfer of a prescription copy
- The act of patient counseling pursuant to paragraph
- Administration of approved immunizations
- Documentation of informed consent to administer immunizations
Potential Career Pathways
- Community
- Hospital
- Mail Order
- Managed Care
- Academic
- Consultant
- Home Infusion
- Anticoagulation
- Integrative
- Nuclear
- Federal
Board Certified Pharmacy Specialties
- Ambulatory Care
- Critical Care Pharmacy
- Nuclear Pharmacy
- Nutrition Support Pharmacy
- Oncology Pharmacy
- Pediatric Pharmacy
- Pharmacotherapy
- Psychiatric Pharmacy
The above lists aren’t comprehensive, and the opportunities for pharmacists are endless! Contact me at zhang.1177@osu.edu with any questions! 🙂
