Pharmacists seen as integral to helping patients manage healthcare.

Moral of the story: Physicians need help from pharmacists, especially considering the high number of drugs people take these days and all the potential interactions that can occur.

Source: AMA Morning News 11/20/09

Pharmacists seen as integral to helping patients manage healthcare.

In a series of articles on pharmacists and their role in managing patients' healthcare, the Los Angeles Times (11/30, Ravn) reports, "Pharmacists now can help patients get the most good from their medications, manage side effects, avoid interactions, even save money." Most states also "have laws requiring pharmacists to give patients specific information," and in California, the law specifies that pharmacists "should give patients directions for how to use and store their medications, making clear that it's important to follow those directions." In addition, "they should warn patients about possible side effects or interactions that occur frequently and may be severe."

        In a separate article, the Los Angeles Times (11/30, Ravn) reports on "a growing subset" of pharmacists called "clinical pharmacists," who "provide direct care, using their expertise to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate medications and that they take them properly. These professionals often spend time with patients that physicians can't." Evidence also "shows that when clinical pharmacists collaborate with physicians, they improve health outcomes. And with their extensive knowledge of available drugs, pharmacists can help to save money by using the most cost-effective ones."

        The Los Angeles Times (11/30, Ravn) also reports on "medication therapy management" and how "it's crucial to ensure that none of the patient's medications are duplicating each other, or canceling each other out, or interacting in a problematic, even dangerous way." In medication therapy management, "the pharmacist can work with a patient's physician (or physicians) to develop a comprehensive program of drug therapy -- perhaps eliminating or adding or switching medications," which can help save "the patient money and, more important," improve "the patient's health."

        The Los Angeles Times (11/30, Ravn) also includes an article detailing "a list of questions" patients "should pose before taking your medications home." The Los Angeles Times (11/30, Ravn) also runs a story on "five of the most-prescribed drugs and their possible risks, side effects, and possible interactions."