Good Pharmacy Practice Guideline: pharmacist’s role

Last week we introduced clinical pharmacy services (CPS). In this session, we welcome clinical pharmacist Fan-Hsiu Chao.

Ms Chao will first introduce the purpose of learning clinical pharmacy services (CPS): – Recognize the clinical pharmacy services (CPS) and patient education described in GPP guidelines. – Understand current practices of CPS and patient education in hospital settings.

Then, she will give detailed examples of CPS practiced in hospital settings of Taiwan and share some of her experiences as a clinical pharmacist at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH).

Next, we will have a recap on Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP). Ms Chao will explain how local authorities need to set their own standards on top of the GPP guidelines. GPP is organized around 4 major roles for pharmacists. Of the following, Role number 2 stated to provide effective Medication Therapy Management (MTM). Under Role number 2, there are 4 functions structured and a list of minimum national standards to be established have been set, including:

• Role 2 Function A: Assess patient health status and needs.

Minimum national requirement: Pharmacists should ensure that health management, disease prevention, and healthy lifestyle behavior are incorporated into the patient assessment and care process.

• Role 2 Function B: Manage patient medication therapy.

Minimum national requirement: Pharmacists should have key roles in educating prescribers on the optimal and appropriate use of medicines, including monitoring key patient parameters, and adjusting prescriptions. Where appropriate, pharmacists should offer direct advice or recommendations to the prescribers on medical therapy.

Ms Chao will explain how local authorities need to set their own standards on top of the GPP guidelines. We will see function C and D in the next step.

We have provided the Guideline on GPP from WHO in the also link below. Please use it as a reference if you have not read it. Turn to page 14 on this file. In the next few step, you will also need to use this file.

Share and learn:

• Why do you think countries should establish additional standards on top of GPP?
• Do you know of such policies/standards in your country?