An Update on Community Pharmacy Practice in the United States

概要

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There are several types of community pharmacies in the United States. The most common are independents, chains, and supermarket pharmacies. There are pharmacies that specialize in home healthcare supplies/devices, compounding, and infusions. Currently, there is a great shortage of pharmacists in the United States, and as a result salaries are high (2002 median salary was \9.5 million). Pharmacy rules and regulations are quite different in the United States. One "prescription" is usually one medication order. Additionally, there are no limits on the number of prescriptions one pharmacist may fill per day. Many pharmacists are starting to provide direct patient-care services. These clinical services may include cholesterol screenings, manual blood pressure measurements, hemoglobin AlC testing, blood glucose testing, osteoporosis screenings, vaccinations, and many others. Community pharmacy practice is changing quickly in the U.S. With the current shortage of pharmacists, and large prescription volume, pharmacies will be challenged to provide for the medication needs of their patients. While direct patientcare services are increasing in community pharmacies, many challenges will need to be overcome before their provision becomes widespread.
2004-08-10