Every sector in the healthcare is important. Pharmacy, being one of them, plays a vital role in improving the quality of the healthcare.
Here, we have accumulated a list of points that exactly reflect the importance of a pharmacy.
- Pharmacy has evolved
Pharmacy has evolved from its older definition. It is no longer only a place where you go buy your medicine. Half a century ago, pharmacists were not allowed to discuss or give patients any medication advice. But today, pharmacies are prepared with services to engage patients with different range of health woes. For example, some pharmacy have programs targeted specially for asthma patients, some pharmacy have trained vaccinators etc.
- Easy access
The number of pharmacy visitors is in abundance and so is the number of pharmacies in communities to meet their demands. In today’s busy world, a customer can go buy an anti-fungal cream and get advice on how to control their high blood pressure while going to the market to buy their morning newspaper. All of this possible without an appointment. Such convenient healthcare cannot be provided by any other reliable institution.
- A clinical approach
Nowadays, pharmacies have less of a manufacturing image and more of a clinical approach.They consult with different health professionals and specialists regarding new developments in the healthcare business to keep themselves in the race. They offer various wellness programs, educational events, screening tests, vaccination plans and even clinics with minimum required equipment. In addition, they update and stockpile the latest drugs and health facilities. This is why they can be regarded as an important pillar of a community that holds the healthcare system.
- A caring outlet
Doctors and surgeons are mostly concerned with diagnosis and prescribing drugs. Pharmacists are however, act as confidants for patients. Today, pharmacies have adopted a more personal role. Not only they provide medicines, but also guide the patients on how to take their medicine, when to take their medicine, the probable side effects and so on. They devote their time listening to patients and examining their medical history. The culture of consulting a pharmacy first for minor health problems is slowly developing over time.
- Communication channel
A pharmacy acts as a communication channel between the healthcare system and the customers. Since pharmacies are community based, it is easier to carry educational and health awareness programs to the public through them. For instance,they can have promotional pamphlets, health magazines and health newsletters on their counter for the patients to read. On a higher level, pharmacies are a trusted source to dispatch new drugs and drug therapy methods to public knowledge.
- Knowledge on the drugs
A pharmacist generally knows more about drugs and medicines than any other health professionals. When you consult a pharmacy, they prescribe you the right drugs in right amount even if your doctor’s prescription says otherwise. This is because a pharmacist knows how drugs behave and how they complement each other. They know how much medication to take with regards to the patient’s gender, age and medical history which are crucial factors in the healthcare.
A pharmacy is a source of information as well as a center for professional opinion regarding the relationship between your health and drugs. Its flexibility causes it to be a respected and important profession in both hospital and community in the rural and urban areas.
