There’s a big role to play for community pharmacists in primary care. They have a pharmacotherapeutic training, are easily accessible and have a personal connection with their patients. These trumps can be used to improve the safe and rational use of medication and thus improve patient outcomes and reduce costs for society.
We prefer to use the term ‘pharmaceutical care‘, which is defined as: the pharmacist’s contribution to the care of individuals in order to optimize medicines use and improve health outcomes.
It is an overarching term for all kinds of services and interventions related to, in my opinion;
- The safe use of medication
- Prevention
- Early detection of (chronic) diseases
In the next articles I will go more in depth in each and every of these topics, with practical tips and links.
