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Clinical Pharmacy vs Pharmacology

Clinical pharmacy is the branch of Pharmacy where pharmacists and pharmaconomists provide patient care that optimizes the use of medication and promotes health, wellness, and disease prevention. Clinical pharmacists and clinical pharmaconomists care for patients in all health care settings but the clinical pharmacy movement initially began inside hospitals and clinics. Clinical pharmacists/pharmaconomists often collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Pharmacology (from Greek φάρμακον, pharmakon, "poison" in classic Greek; "drug" in modern Greek; and -λογία, -logia "study of", "knowledge of") is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action, where a drug can be broadly defined as any man-made, natural, or endogenous (within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemical and/or physiological effect on the cell, tissue, organ, or organism. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.

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Clinical pharmacy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacists
​Getting to the Next Level of Pharmacy
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Clinical pharmacy is the branch of Pharmacy where pharmacists provide patient care that optimizes the use of medication and promotes health, wellness, and disease prevention.  Clinical pharmacists care for patients in all health care settings but the clinical pharmacy movement initially began inside hospitals and clinics. Clinical pharmacists often collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals.

Clinical pharmacists have extensive education in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, sociobehavioral and clinical sciences. Most clinical pharmacists have a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree and many have completed one or more years of post-graduate training (e.g. a general and/or specialty pharmacy residency). Many clinical pharmacists also choose to become Board Certified through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) which was organized in 1976 as an independent certification agency of APhA (American Pharmacists Association). A pharmacist may become a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS), a Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP), Board Certified Nuclear Pharmacist (BCNP), Board Certified Nutrition Support Pharmacist (BCNSP), a Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP), or a Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). There are also subspecialties within the Pharmacotherapy specialty: Cardiology and Infectious Disease. It is denoted as an "Added Qualification" or AQ. In order to obtain one of these specialties you must first be a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and then submit a portfolio to the Board of Pharmacy Specialties for review to determine if they will grant you the added qualifications. An up-to-date explanation of pharmacy education leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree and Specialty Board Certification can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvPb5peBnAY.

Within the system of health care, clinical pharmacists are experts in the therapeutic use of medications. They routinely provide medication therapy evaluations and recommendations to patients and other health care professionals. Clinical pharmacists are a primary source of scientifically valid information and advice regarding the safe, appropriate, and cost-effective use of medications. Clinical pharmacists are also making themselves more readily available to the public. In the past, access to a clinical pharmacist was limited to hospitals, clinics, or educational institutions. However, clinical pharmacists are making themselves available through a medication information hotline, and reviewing medication lists, all in an effort to prevent medication errors in the foreseeable future.

In some states, clinical pharmacists are given prescriptive authority under protocol with a medical provider (i.e., MD or DO), and their scope of practice is constantly evolving. In the United Kingdom clinical pharmacists are given independent prescriptive authority.

Basic components of clinical pharmacy practice

  1. Prescribing drugs  
  2. Administering drugs 
  3. Documenting professional services
  4. Reviewing drug use
  5. Communication
  6. Counseling
  7. Consulting
  8. Preventing Medication Errors

Scope of clinical pharmacy:

Drug InformationDrug 
UtilizationDrug Evaluation and SelectionMedication 
Therapy Management 
Formal Education and Training ProgramsDisease State Management
Application of Electronic Data Processing (EDP)
About Clinical Pharmacists

Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacists

What is a clinical pharmacist?Clinical pharmacists work directly with physicians, other health professionals, and patients to ensure that the medications prescribed for patients contribute to the best possible health outcomes. Clinical pharmacists practice in health care settings where they have frequent and regular interactions with physicians and other health professionals, contributing to better coordination of care.
The clinical pharmacist is educated and trained in direct patient care environments, including medical centers, clinics, and a variety of other health care settings. Clinical pharmacists are frequently granted patient care privileges by collaborating physicians and/or health systems that allow them to perform a full range of medication decision-making functions as part of the patient’s health care team. These privileges are granted on the basis of the clinical pharmacist’s demonstrated knowledge of medication therapy and record of clinical experience. This specialized knowledge and clinical experience is usually gained through residency training and specialist board certification.
What do clinical pharmacists do?Clinical pharmacists:
  • Assess the status of the patient’s health problems and determine whether the prescribed medications are optimally meeting the patient’s needs and goals of care.
  • Evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of the patient’s medications.
  • Recognize untreated health problems that could be improved or resolved with appropriate medication therapy.
  • Follow the patient’s progress to determine the effects of the patient’s medications on his or her health.
  • Consult with the patient’s physicians and other health care providers in selecting the medication therapy that best meets the patient’s needs and contributes effectively to the overall therapy goals.
  • Advise the patient on how to best take his or her medications.
  • Support the health care team’s efforts to educate the patient on other important steps to improve or maintain health, such as exercise, diet, and preventive steps like immunization.
  • Refer the patient to his or her physician or other health professionals to address specific health, wellness, or social services concerns as they arise.
How do clinical pharmacists care for patients?Clinical pharmacists:
  • Provide a consistent process of patient care that ensures the appropriateness, effectiveness, and safety of the patient’s medication use.
  • Consult with the patient’s physician(s) and other health care provider(s) to develop and implement a medication plan that can meet the overall goals of patient care established by the health care team.
  • Apply specialized knowledge of the scientific and clinical use of medications, including medication action, dosing, adverse effects, and drug interactions, in performing their patient care activities in collaboration with other members of the health care team.
  • Call on their clinical experience to solve health problems through the rational use of medications.
  • Rely on their professional relationships with patients to tailor their advice to best meet individual patient needs and desires.
How do you find a clinical pharmacist? Clinical pharmacists practice in many different health care environments: hospitals and their affiliated outpatient clinics, emergency departments, community pharmacies, physicians’ offices, community-based clinics, nursing homes, and managed care organizations.
Finding Fulltext Articles:


Sources of Free Full-Text Articles:


Pharmacy Associations and Boards:
Guidelines/Systematic Reviews:


Drug Info/Medical Search Sites:


Government Sites:


Herbals & Nutrition:
Adverse Effects
Q-Tc Interval Prolongation by Drugs:
Center for Education and Research Therapeutics

Antiparasitic drugs CDC
Center for Disease Control
Center for Disease Control – drug index 

Bioterrorism
Center for Disease Control & Prevention
Infectious Disease Society of America
Johns Hopkins Center Civilian Biodefense
US Army Medical Research Institute of Inf. Dis.
California State Board of Pharmacy

Continuing Pharmacy Education
Pharmacy Times
Drug Store News
Drug Topics.com
Emedicine.com

Disease Monographs
Emedicine.com

Disease States
Alzheimer’s Association
American Cancer Society
Prostate Cancer Research Institute
American Heart Association – Cholesterol tracker, risk assessment for patients
American Diabetes Association
Hepatitis Central.com
Center for HIV Information
HIV/AIDS Medscape.com
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - HIV/AIDS
American Society of Hypertension, Inc.

Drug Interactions
Drug Digest
Merckmedicus.com – Requires registration (free for US Healthcare professionals)
Drugs.com
Drug Store.com
HIV Drug Interactions
AIDS Info.

Drug Monographs
Drugs.com
Merck Medicus.com
Mayo Clinic.com – go to Mosby Drug Consults
Rx List- The drug monographs are supplied by MicroMedex

Drug Prices
Drug Store.com

Drug Shortages
FDA Center for Drug Evaluation

Educational Information
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Drug Watch.com

Health Organizations
Food and Drug Administration
National Institutes of Health
The United States Pharmacopeial Convention
The United States Public Health Service
World Health Organization (WHO)

Herbs & Supplements
Drug Digest

Immunizations
CDC, National Immunization Program
FDA, Vaccine Adverse Events
National Network Immununization Info
Influenza Vaccine, CDC
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene – Traveler’s Info: Immunizations, Malaria Prophylaxis, etc.

Job Search Sites for Pharmacy
CareerPharm
Pharmacy Week
College of Pharmacy Job Resource
Pharmacy Postings
Pharmacy Job Center
Memorial Care Health System

Links to other Pharmacy and Medical Sites
Coreynahman.com
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
Pharmacist.com
PharmWeb

List Serves
National Institute of Health - for pharmacy students

Medical Glossary/Dictionary
Drug Digest
Glossary of Pharmacology Terms
MerckMedicus

Medical Journals
Free Medical Journals.com
MerckMedicus

Medical Textbooks
Free Medical Book 4 doctors.com
MerckMedicus
Access Pharmacy

NAPLEX
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

New Drugs Approved by the FDA
CenterWatch - Drugs Approved by the FDA 
FDA Center for Drug Evaluation
Drug Facts and Comparisons – subscription required

Patient Education
FDA Center for Drug Evaluation
Pharmacy Times – Contains monographs for patients on specific drugs
MerckMedicus
Emedicine.com
Web MD

Pharmaceutical Company Directories
Chemical Industry Supplier Registry
Corynahman.com
MerckMedicus

Pharmacy Journals
Drug Store News
Drug Topics
Pharmacy Times
US Pharmacist  – now called Drug Topics Voice of the Pharmacist

Pill Identifier
Lexicomp – requires subscription
MerckMedicus

Patient Safety

Institute for safe medication practices

Practice Guidelines
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
National Guideline Clearinghouse
MerckMedicus

Professional Pharmacy Organizations
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Assoication of Pharmaceutical Scientists
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Clinical Pharmacology
American Pharmacists Association
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
California Pharmacists Association
California Society of Health-System Pharmacists
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
International Pharmaceutical Federation
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
National Community Pharmacists Association
National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation

Therapeutic and Generic Equivalency
Orange Book at FDA Center for Drug Evaluation

College of Pharmacy

(909) 623-6116      Website:  (http://prospective.westernu.edu/pharmacy-pharmd/welcome-13/)
Getting to The Next Pharmacy Level
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