Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving de elimination or reduction of a patient's symptomatology;(iii) arresting or slowing of a disease process; or (iv) preventing a disease or symptomatology.[1]
This process requires a clinical pharmacist to review a patient's medication with reference to the doctor's diagnoses, laboratory tests and patient's information. The clinical pharmacist must therefore work very closely with the doctor and patient in order to gain a correct understanding of the relevance and impact of the various medications on the patient's pathology.
The pharmaceutical care process was originally conceived to be undertaken in a community pharmacy by community pharmacists. In 1996 the Pharmaceutical Society of NZ began a programme to implement the process throughout New Zealand. While some 500 pharmacists undertook an expensive training, it was found that the basic skill level of most pharmacists was not sufficient to enable them to undertake an in-depth review of the patients' medication [Citation Required]. Pharmacists are now required to complete a postgraduate diploma in clinical pharmacy to enable them to practice as a Clinical Pharmacist before being considered competent to work at this level.