Delivering their services to large mass, community
pharmacists are the health professionals most accessible to the public. They
supply medicines in accordance with a prescription or, when legally permitted,
sell them without a prescription. In addition to ensuring an accurate supply of
appropriate products, their professional activities also cover counseling of
patients at the time of dispensing of prescription and non-prescription drugs,
drug information to health professionals, patients and the general public, and
participation in health-promotion programs. They maintain links with other
health professionals in primary health care.
The activities of community pharmacists are described below
:
- Processing of prescription
- Care of patients or clinical pharmacy
- Monitoring of drug utilization
- Extemporaneous preparation and small scale manufacture of medicines
- Traditional and alternative
- Responding to symptoms of minor ailments
- Informing health care professionals and the public
- Health promotion
- Domiciliary services
- Agricultural and veterinary practice
Community Practice in India
A community pharmacy is also referred as retail pharmacy or
retail drug outlets, is places where medicines are stored and dispensed,
supplied or sold. The general population usually calls community pharmacies ‘medicine
stores’
Predicting a Change
If unofficial estimates are to be believed, there are over
600,000 licensed retail outlets for medicines sale and supply. In India, consumer’s
expectations from community pharmacists are that the medication should be
effective, safe, and affordable. Other expectations from Indian pharmacists
would be dispense the drugs according to the rules with proper advice on how
and when medicines should be taken, and what to do in the case of adverse
reactions as well as the provision of advice on common ailments.
