Clinical pharmacy

 Clinical pharmacy is a branch of pharmacy which is concerned with various aspect of  patient care and deals not only with the dispensing of drugs but also on advising the patient the safe and rational use of drug.

The clinical pharmacist serve as a source of information on the drug and the dosage forms to the member of physician, nursing staff and other healthcare professionals.

Clinical pharmacy practice is concerned with the promotion of effective, safe and economical drug therapy. Pharmacy practice is a broader term which includes clinical pharmacy and other patient care–related activities performed by pharmacists in the hospital and community settings. These Include dispensing and drug distribution, drug information, health promotion, patient counselling, pharmacovigilance, medication reviews, academic detailing and sterile and non-sterile manufacturing. Clinical Pharmacy has its origins in hospital pharmacy, but in some countries, clinical activities which in the beginning were restricted to hospitals are now well￾developed in the community setting.

India is a country with many drug use problems. This is a result of complex socioeconomic, medical and political factors. Drug-related problems occur at various levels of the medication use process and involve prescribers, patients, pharmacists, nurses, the pharmaceutical industry and the government.

Clinical pharmacy practice in the hospital and community settings, as seen in other countries, can improve the drug use process by promoting the quality and safe use of medicines.

CLINICAL PHARMACY EDUCATION

The postgraduate programmes in pharmacy practice offered by Indian Pharmacy colleges are designed to prepare pharmacists for an expanded role in the healthcare system. There is significant focus on pathophysiology, applied therapeutics and pharmacy practice, which are the foundations upon which clinical pharmacy practice is built. 

The following subjects are taught in the Master of Pharmacy Practice programme:

Pathophysiological basis of various diseases

Patient data analysis, 

to enable the student to understand the significance of laboratory tests and other biological values, and to

interpret clinical data with respect to the patient’s disease condition and treatment

Applied therapeutics,

 to understand the role of various classes of drugs in particular diseases and conditions, with an emphasis on the safety, efficacy and rational selection of drugs

Clinical pharmacokinetics, 

to understand the kinetics of drugs and how this affects their selection and dosage; in particular, when used in patients with renal or hepatic impairment

Communication skills, 

to support clinical pharmacy practice, particularly in the areas of patient counselling and communication with physician and other healthcare professionals