INTRODUCTION
TO
CLINICAL PHARMACY
Content
Clinical pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Care vs Clinical Pharmacy
Pharmacy Vs Clinical Pharmacy
Objectives of Clinical Pharmacy
Clinical Pharmacy Requirements
General Approach to a Patient Care
Clinical Pharmacy
◦Clinical pharmacy is the branch of pharmacy in which clinical
pharmacists provide direct patient care that optimizes the use of
medication and promotes health, wellness, and disease
prevention.
◦ An area of pharmacy concerned with the science and practice
of rational medication use. “The American College of Clinical
Pharmacy (ACCP)”
Pharmaceutical Care Vs Clinical Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Care Clinical Pharmacy
a comprehensive approach enters on the overall Emphasizes the application of clinical knowledge and
management of medication therapy to achieve skills to optimize medication use and improve patient
specific health outcomes for individual patients outcomes. It involves direct patient care, including
monitoring, managing, and adjusting medication therapy
based on clinical judgment.
Involves a range of activities beyond just clinical provide drug therapy recommendations, conduct
interactions, such as educating patients, medication reviews, and manage complex medication
collaborating with other healthcare providers, and regimens.
advocating for effective medication use
Emphasizes a patient-centered approach, where the Focuses more on the clinical aspects of medication
pharmacist actively engages with the patient to management, including drug interactions, side effects,
understand their specific needs, preferences, and and therapeutic outcomes.
health goals
Pharmacy Vs Clinical Pharmacy
Pharmacy Clinical Pharmacy
Involves the general preparation,
Focuses specifically on optimizing medication
dispensing, and management of
therapy for patients, often in a healthcare
medications, including over-the-counter andsetting, and includes direct patient care
prescription drugs. activities.
Primarily interacts with patients in a Engages more deeply with patients, assessing
dispensing role, providing medications and their medication needs, managing therapy, and
basic advice. providing specialized clinical
recommendations.
Can include settings like community Typically found in hospital or clinical settings,
pharmacies, retail, or hospital outpatient working closely with healthcare teams to
services. provide advanced therapeutic care.
Objectives/ Responsibilities
• According to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), the
objectives of clinical pharmacy include:
Optimize Medication Therapy
Improve Patient Care
Prevent and Resolve Medication-Related Problems
Collaborate with Healthcare Teams
Advance Professional Knowledge and Practice
Duties
General Approach to a Patient Care
1. Collection of Patient Details
Factors Implication
Age Pediatric and geriatric patients are at risk of medication-related problems.
(PK profile)
Gender This may alter the choice of the therapy for certain indications.
Alter in pregnancy
Social history This may impact on ability to manage medicines and influence
pharmaceutical care needs
Presenting complaint Signs and Symptoms
Working diagnosis to identify the classes of medicines that would be anticipated on the
prescription based on current evidence
Previous medical Understanding the patient's other medical conditions and their history
history helps ensure that management of the current problem does not
compromise a prior condition
Laboratory or physical Results may convey a need for dosage adjustment or presence of an
findings adverse reaction
2. Assessment
◦The pharmacist assesses the information collected and analyzes the
clinical effects of the patient’s therapy in the context of the patient’s
overall health goals in order to identify and prioritize problems and
achieve optimal care.
Assessment of drug related need
Reason of patient to encounter the healthcare setup
Patient complains assessment
Patient expectation
3. Plan
After the problem list is generated, subjective and objective data are
reviewed, and the severity and acuity of the problems are assessed and
prioritized, the next step in the problem oriented (i.e., SOAP) approach is
to create a plan, which at the minimum should consist of a diagnostic plan
and a Medication action plan (MAP) that includes patient education.
The plan is the action that was justified in the assessment. The plan is
clear and direct and does not require explanation.
3. Plan
Goal of therapy
The patient will achieve, maintain, or the infection will be cured within 7 days or
signs or symptoms of the disease will be eliminated or reduced within 30 days
Alternative therapy plan
Cost effective, potent, efficacious drug
initiating new drug therapy, discontinuing drug therapy, or increasing the dose ,
decreasing the dosage regimen, or changing the product
Patient education
Compliance
Proper storage
Administration guideline
Follow-up
Next encounter with the patient
designed to gather information to determine to what extent the
recommended care plan is producing the desired effect(s),
achieving goals of therapy, and not resulting in undesirable or
intolerable side effects