MULTI - DIMENSIONAL ROLE OF A PHARMACIST IN HOSPITAL: A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

Abstract

The objective of this study was to point out multi-dimensional role of a pharmacist with a special emphasis on the hospital pharmacist. A
pharmacist is a person who is involved in designing, creating or manufacturing of a drug product, dispensing of a drug, managing and planning of
a pharmaceutical care. They are experts on the action and uses of drugs, including their chemistry, pharmacology and formulation. The
professional life of a hospital pharmacist might seem insignificant as compared to that of doctors, but actually they are highly trained health
professionals who plays important role in patient safety, patient compliance, therapeutic monitoring and even in direct patient care. With the
passage of time and advancements in health care services and pharmaceuticals, the role of a hospital pharmacist has become more diversified. To
a career, a hospital pharmacist must possess a diploma/degree in pharmacy from an accredited pharmacy college and must be registered with the
state pharmacy council of their respective region. In this study, we have assessed the behavior, communication skills, qualifications of the
pharmacist, prescription handling ability and other factors to evaluate the diversified role of hospital pharmacist and their comparison with
pharmacists practicing in rural and urban areas. Current surveys show that the pharmacists are not practicing as per the standard due to lack of
proper guidelines and watch over their practicing sense. The rules and guidelines prescribed by the Food and drug administration (FDA) and
Indian pharmacopeia commission (IPC) were not followed by the pharmacist.