What is Pharmacy?
It’s weird to think that we as a culture know so little about something that effects nearly half of all Americans. It’s so strange that an industry can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on yearly lobbying, yet still be stereotyped as old, white men counting tablets behind a counter at a neighborhood drugstore. It’s true– in reality, many Americans aren’t aware of the training and expertise pharmacists have.
So, just what is pharmacy?
Everyone knows the CVS and the Walgreens convieniently found a few blocks from their homes. Near everyone has heard of Ibuprofen or these “statins” that can somehow help your heart and cholesterol (whatever that means). Not everyone knows that pharmacists are usually trained Doctors, having anywhere from 6 to 8 years of specialized training in health and medicine. In the same way psychiatrists are physicians who have specialized in mental health, pharmacists are prescription medication specialists. However, while psychiatrists are found in mental health facilities and private offices, pharmacists can be found nearly anywhere patients access healthcare.
OK, but you’re just referencing pharmacists in the basement of hospitals counting IV bags and syringes, right?
Well yes, one aspect of hospital pharmacy includes managing the hundreds of patients and their advanced medications from a variety of health conditions. But pharmacists now round with physicians on patient floors and are important for decision making. Since the average physician may only have one or two pharmacology courses, having an expert in the field is critical for patient care and generally well appreciated by other members of the healthcare team.
OK, but that’s still just drugstores and hospitals. I go to my family physician and specialists all the time!
More recently, pharmacists have expanded into ambulatory care settings. At most academic medical centers, pharmacists follow patients in speciality clinics. In family medicine, a pharmacist may be consulted about therapy selection or disease control. Plus, accessing family physicians and specialists usually requires insurance. Most insurance companies use pharmacists for help designing their formularies.
OK, well what about people who can’t afford to pay both a physician and a pharmacist? Does pharmacy “care” for the little people?
Pharmacists care about outreach (it’s even in our code of ethics). This is shown at free clinics and health screenings. This is shown through pharmacists who help people apply for government programs, like Medicare and Medicaid. This is shown through medication safety programs. Pharmacy “cares” for low socioeconomic status folks, but there is always room for improvement.
OK… Pharmacists are everywhere. What else do I need to know?
Community pharmacists (often called “Retail Pharmacists”) are the first line of defense for much of healthcare. Patients are comfortable asking these accessible providers questions about everything from “Can you look at this weird rash on my arm?” to “My mom was prescribed an ophthalmic prostaglandin for her glaucoma… will that interact with the tree bark she takes orally?”
In summary: Pharmacists are everywhere in healthcare, and well respected by other providers. In a changing healthcare climate, pharmacists represent the future of care.