Page 51 - InsideOut Magazine

Focus Shifts to Patient Outcomes
Concerns for optimal patient out- comes, a concept that evolved from the 1960s, again transformed the roles and responsibilities of phar- macists in the 1980s. Attention
on adverse drug reactions grew in healthcare communities from stud- ies published in pharmaceutical jour- nals and presented at professional pharmaceutical associations and gatherings. During these gatherings, visionary leaders worked to build consensus amongst pharmacists to rethink their purpose in terms of patient outcomes — that pharmacists were relevant experts of medication use and medication use directly af- fected patients.
For the first time, pharmacists began redefining their roles and respon- sibilities away from drug product distribution and toward achieving optimal patient outcomes from the use of medications.2
Effects of Inalienable Right
Cumulative effects of pharmacists maintaining their “inalienable right” to advise physicians on patient medications, as well as their drive for quality control and practices,
are evident throughout today’s healthcare industry. Unit dose drug distribution, P&T committees and formularies are mainstays today
in hospital systems. In addition,
From 1960 until 2002, pharmacists only
required a Bachelor of Science degree to
qualify for entry-level positions.
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
variations of the policies apply to community and retail pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management plans and payer protocols.
A continued focus on optimal patient outcomes segued pharmacists from behind the counters and toward providing clinical services to patients, which further established pharmacists as relevant experts of medication management and vital contributors to patient care.
Advances in Education
Increased demands for pharmacists’ expertise, as well as the sophisti- cated developments in pharmaceuti- cal products and research, caused professional organizations—in- cluding the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, and the American Association of Colleges of Phar- macy — to reevaluate the education
and licensing requirements of pharmacists. This in turn caused major changes in the education of U.S. pharmacists in the 21st century.
Remarkably, from 1960 until 2002, pharmacists only required a Bach- elor of Science degree to qualify for entry-level positions. Educational requirements, however, ramped up for students graduating on or after January 1, 2003. New requirements included at least two years of under- graduate course work (three years is typical for the majority of under- graduates), followed by four years
of professional study in an accred- ited pharmacy school, to achieve a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).
In addition to attaining a PharmD, pharmacists educated in the U.S. must successfully complete two exams administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to obtain a pharmacy license. The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) measures a candidate’s knowledge
of pharmacy practice, and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE), combines federal and state-specific questions on the legal aspects of pharmacy practice. Arkansas, California, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virginia and the Virgin Islands do not require MPJE. 4
Similar to medical doctors, pharma- cists may specialize in specific dis- ciplines, and further achieve board certification in those specialties.5
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