Roles and Responsibilities of Clinical Pharmacists in India

In India, pharmacy practice is still in its infancy. But, the introduction of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) study program has sparked major debates regarding clinical pharmacy in the nation. Certainly, patients, doctors, nurses, other healthcare professionals, recruiters in the pharmaceutical businesses, prospective students, and their parents all have many questions regarding this profession and study program.

Here are the roles and responsibilities of a Clinical Pharmacist

Rational drug use

As a member of the patient care team, the pharmacist has the responsibility to ensure that the patient is using the best medication possible in the correct manner, which will improve rational drug therapy. Further, the new drug delivery systems enable the pharmacist to take on new responsibilities in the field of patient care. Likewise, the clinical pharmacist will play a significant role in the hospital's medication information dissemination and retrieval processes.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM)

The ultimate goal of TDM is to select pharmacological doses that, using clinical pharmacokinetic principles, are tailored to the features of specific individuals. Therefore, it may be claimed, with merit, that this “specialty” supports the fundamental responsibilities of all pharmacists and affords them the chance to provide patients with something special.

Medication outcomes and comparative effectiveness

The use of team-based care in primary care practices, comparative effectiveness studies of pharmacy-based interventions, and methods. As a result, an increase in drug adherence is all urgently needed.

Medication Therapy Management

Principal Components of an MTM Service Model in Pharmacy Practice : Five essential components make up the MTM service model in pharmacy practice:

• Medication therapy review (MTR)
• Medication-related action plan (MAP)
• Personal medication record (PMR)
• Documentation and follow-up
• Intervention and/or referral

Pharmacoepidemiology

Drug-related problems (DRP) are examined in both inpatient and outpatient settings. For instance, they have the goal of reducing the impact of DRP on patients and establishing safe medication practices.

Different parameters are covered by pharmacoepidemiology.

• DRP management in different healthcare settings
• includes intravenous drug administration and DRP
• Relationships between antiepileptic drug use and bone health
• benefits and hazards of using over-the-counter medications for self-medication

Pharmacogenomics & Pharmacoeconomics

Pharmacogenomics is the use of genetic data from patients or diseased tissues (such as cancer tissue from a patient). Thus, they help prescribers choose the best medication and dosage for the patient.

The following three key areas make up a pharmacist's position in pharmacogenetics.

• The introduction of pharmacogenetic testing into clinical procedures.
• Creation of fresher research methodologies and the provision of research guidelines.
• Educating healthcare professionals and assisting in the creation of technology and infrastructure for pharmacogenetics
• In preparation for the real adoption of technology in the healthcare system.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

The pharmacists role in this section is to record and use several parameters. So, each is helpful for patient care. For instance, this includes:

Hematology and Oncology Pharmacists

An oncology pharmacists expertise and abilities assist a wide range of tasks in all facets of patient care. Furthermore, it involves from the bedside to putting policies into practice. Additionally, it caters from primary research to influencing other clinicians in the choice and administration of anticancer medicines.

Transitions-of-care Services

The Joint Commission and other healthcare organizations stress the importance of streamlining the Transition-of-care (TOC) process. Moreover, they decrease prescription errors and prevent adverse events in the current healthcare system.

In addition to promoting health, wellness, and disease prevention in partnership with doctors and other healthcare providers, the cadre of clinical pharmacists can help patients use pharmaceuticals in a balanced or optimal way.