INTRODUCTION
Human resources are the present focus of attention in health systems strengthening and public health policies.[1-3] Strategic planning is essential to assess efficiency of human resources and health services, being an effective tool to address innovative solutions within health systems.[4-6] Although the organizational environment is recognised as an important factor in health services functioning and development, external environment continuous modifications challenge decision makers and practitioners. For health professionals, this environment could be described by a constant technological evolution, a growing search for patient-focused care and empowerment of citizens, particularly in terms of health knowledge.[7]
Strategic planning in community pharmacy
Community pharmacies and pharmacists are in a privileged position within health care systems due to their professional training and easy accessibility (i.e., in most high streets), which could contribute to more reliable monitoring of medication use, patient counselling, as well as health promotion and education.[8, 9] The changing environment pressures community pharmacists to keep going in a continuous transition process. The shifting in health care demands are pushing pharmacists to a more advanced role in patient care.[10] The shortage of primary health care (PHC) physicians, the economic and political uncertainty, and the primary-care reform currently happening in Portugal, are all contributing to a change climate, creating also an opportunity to rethink the role of community pharmacists within the Portuguese health care system.
Pharmacists’ workforce scenario development
Due to socioeconomic uncertainty, which limits the capacity to predict and plan the ne...
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Determined healthcare systems routinely examine their environments internally and externally to locate significant trends and forces in the present and for the future which will have an effect on their performance goals and mission efforts. These healthcare systems understand who their stakeholders are, their needs and how best to meet those expectations and needs. These systems give attention to specific efforts on accomplishing goals that acquire opportunities in the whole environment while they continue to adjust their internal structures and functions. Precise aims are dealt with by uninterrupted sequences for performance improvements. Strategic directions for systems originate from the mission and directives. Strategic directions are identified by observing key stakeholders, addressing their interests and being proactive about responding to current, as well as, future shifts and trends in the systems’ entire environment (Skinner, 2001).
The first profession is a pharmacist and it falls under the pharmacy department in the Wai’anae Coast Community Health Center. A pharmacist is among many healthcare professionals that provides service and care for a wide range of people. A pharmacist in a community pharmacy dispenses medication, gives advice to patients and physicians on the dosages, and interactions and side effects of their medication. A pharmacist also advises patients about their general health topics such as: diet and exercise, stress management, and provides information on other products their patients might need. Some of ...
This service is experienced, documented, evaluated and paid for as Pharmaceutical Care. Pharmaceutical Care consists of a philosophy of practice, patient care process as well as a patient management system. Pharmaceutical Care has common integrated vocabulary consistent with other patient care practices such as medicine, dentistry and nursing. Philosophy of pharmaceutical care consists of a description of the social need for the practice, a concise and clear statement of individual practitioner responsibilities to meet this social need, the expectation to be patient-centered and the requirement to function within the caring paradigm. This philosophy of practice is expected and practiced by all health care professionals. The patient care processes must be consistent with the patient care processes of all other health care providers. These processes include the assessment of the client’s pharmaceutical needs, a health care plan that is constructed to meet the specific needs of the client and a process in which evaluates the health care plan to gauge the efficacy of decisions made and actions taken. Pharmaceutical care management system includes all resources needed to manage the client’s needs, which include the space provided, such as a clinic or hospital, an appointment system for patients, appropriate and ethical documentation, reporting of patient care, evaluation of decisions made and actions taken and payment of service
I pleased to apply to the PharmD program as the program is one area that corresponds to my career dreams. Being part of this program gives one the opportunity to gain an excellent experience in working and collaborating with various health care providers in the ward. But more importantly, it facilitates a practical environment in dealing more closely with patients. Hence, it helps to provide the ultimate health care services to patients. Also, it permits me to carry on gaining different knowledge, skills, and values in addition to those I have already developed during my undergraduate studies. My interest in being a clinical pharmacist was first aroused during my SPEP rotation in the hospital setting where I was really impressed with the role of clinical pharmacists who provide a consistent process of patient care with healthcare teams to maintain the appropriateness, effectiveness and safety of the medication use. Unlike a pharmacist, a clinical pharmacist has a more diversified responsibilities and closeness to direct patient care. Moreover, provides
...mplications that allow for opportunities of change. One of the presumptions is for training and staffing (Shi & Singh, 2012). With the utilization of health care improvements, the staff will need additional instructions on the performance of equipment and how to efficiently achieve the desired results. Managers or supervisors recognize the need for supplemental staffing and training to optimize patient satisfaction and quality of care. The health care administrator must also focus on changes in insurance policies and rules governing the provision of medical assistance (Shi & Singh, 2012).
It is no secret that the current healthcare reform is a contentious matter that promises to transform the way Americans view an already complex healthcare system. The newly insured population is expected to increase by an estimated 32 million while facing an expected shortage of up to 44,000 primary care physicians within the next 12 years (Doherty, 2010). Amidst these already overwhelming challenges, healthcare systems are becoming increasingly scrutinized to identify ways to improve cost containment and patient access (Curits & Netten, 2007). “Growing awareness of the importance of health promotion and disease prevention, the increased complexity of community-based care, and the need to use scarce human healthcare resources, especially family physicians, far more efficiently and effectively, have resulted in increased emphasis on primary healthcare renewal.” (Bailey, Jones & Way, 2006, p. 381).
Seston, L. and Schafheutle,, E. 2010. A LITERATURE REVIEW ON FACTORS INFLUENCING PHARMACIST PERFORMANCE. [report] Manchester: National Clinical Assessment Service, pp. 7-10.
Pharmacists have training and expertise in medication therapy as well as patient care capabilities to assess and respond to patients’ health care and drug-related needs. Pharmacists are important members of the health care team. Pharmacists are well accepted by general people as healthcare personnel who provide knowledge about medication to patient (Perepelkin, 2011) but they also acquire knowledge and training to asses and respond to patients’ healthcare and drug related need. So prescribing is a logical extended role of pharmacist. It is assumed that medicine and dentistry professions dominate the prescribing activity but some other health care professionals such as optometrists, podiatrists, midwives, and nurse practitioners have been granted prescribing rights (Sketris, 2009). It is suitable for pharmacist to expand their professional role by adopting prescribing because they have skill and knowledge to initiate, monitor and adjust drug therapy and develop patient-centered care. As a result to an expanded scope of pharmacy practice, pharmacists in several Canadian, American, and British jurisdictions can prescribe medications (Tonna, Stewart & McCaig, 2008).
This evidence can be seen from the results of Mott’s study. 94.1% of pharmacists surveyed responded that they wanted the same or less dispensing in their jobs, while 61.9% wanted more time for consultation. This increase in patient-centered care has been shown to reduce stress and increase job satisfaction among pharmacists. In Munger, 57% of pharmacists thought about quitting their position at least yearly and approximately 50% of respondents stated they intended to look for a new position. As job satisfaction continues to decrease among pharmacists, it is important for management to be aware of these trends and take appropriate action to improve pharmacists’ work environment and promote patient
As the gap between reaching optimal medication therapy for diabetes management grows, so does the need for improved medical centers. But how does this happen? If pharmacists were to “utilize their clinical expertise in monitoring and managing diabetes medication plans to positively impact health outcomes and empower patients to actively manage their health,” then the number of people with diabetes could decline (Smith, 2009). Pharmacists are highly accessible medical professionals that are not used to their full potential (Smith, 2009). They are an essential component of the American health system that could easily educate patients struggling with diabetes (Shane-McWhorter, 2005). The implementation of pharmacist-managed diabetes clinics have been proven to lower the blood glucose levels of patients, cost of medication, and mortality rate of its’ patients.
Buerhaus P.I, Auerbach D.I, & Staiger D.O., 2009. The Recent Surge in Nurse Employment: Causes and Implications. Health Affairs, 28 (4): 657-658.
This allows for nurses to take on roles that do not necessarily involve direct patient care due to the vast array of job opportunities within an ever expanding health care system. Jobs that were once created for and filled by other fields of study such as business and law are now being tailored to the nursing profession. One such role that was previously dominated by human resource professionals, health
First, here is some important background information about Pharmacists. A Pharmacist is someone who is trained and licensed to distribute medicinal drugs and to advise on their use. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook Pharmacists do all of the following: "Fill prescriptions, verify proper amounts of medication to give to patients, check whether the prescription will interact negatively with other drugs that a patient is taking or conditions the patient has, instruct patients on how to and when to take a prescribed medicine, Advise patients on potential side effects they may experience from taking the medicine, Advise patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, managing stress, and on other issues, such as what equipment or supplies would be best for a health problem, Keep records and do other administrative tasks, Complete insurance forms and work with insurance companies to be sure that patients get the medicine they need, Teach other healthcare practitioners about proper medication therapies for patients, and lastly oversee the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists training."() Some pharmacists participate in compounding, where they create medications by mixing ingredients themselves. Pharmacists tha...
When a pharmacist joins the profession, they would aim to bring the best improvements in health & wellbeing to both the public and patients, and that the contentment they obtain from this will motivate them to do the work they do what they do. On top of that, patients put their faith in the hands of pharmacy professionals, they r confident pharmacists to be well trained and behave professionally, and will do them no harm, in other words helping them to improve their own health. In the 21th century role of a professional pharmacist are demanding, as well as the expectation from the public, therefore improvement in patient centered professionalism is crucial.
Will, L. ed., 2010. Technology and the Future of Pharmacy: A Roundtable Discussion. Computer Talk for the Pharmacist, [online] 30(3), 20-36. Available at: [Accessed on 11 November 2011]