The Role of Pharmacy in Modern Prescription Practices and Reduce Therapeutic Errors

Abstract

Pharmacy’s role in the supply of medicines is critical to modern prescribing practice. Doctors can no longer see every patient who could potentially benefit from their skills, so they must write prescriptions for medicines. Safe and effective medicines are not the sole province of doctors. The input of pharmacists is essential to minimize therapeutic errors. Pharmacy is starting to become a protected title, with healthcare professionals being expected to be members of the General Pharmaceutical Council and operate from premises registered with the Council. Integrating pharmacy with healthcare means using quality processes that focus on outcomes. All of these put patients at the center of what we do, make the best use of available evidence, justify our decisions in public, take an active role in managing patients’ medicines for the best effect, and minimize risks of harm. The development and use of legible electronic repeat dispensing requests, coupled with the possibility of electronic prescribing by community pharmacists for GPs to consider, are evidence of those developments. They should reduce risks that arise when patients exceed the limits of their medicines.