Pharmacists work in both hospital and community settings and possess a wealth of knowledge on drugs used in common ailments and special medical conditions.

 

The roles of the pharmacist include:    

 

•  Providing accessible service  for patients to utilise i.e. in the community setting no appointment is necessary and patients can freely seek advice from a pharmacist in a confidential setting.

 

•  Providing advice on the medications used i.e patients may forget the regime for taking analgesics  

 

• Counselling patients who may have forgotten how to take prescribed medications and can provide compliance aids in forgetful patients.

 

• Recognising the occurence of side effects or interactions in patients

 

• Identifying the best pharmacotherapy with financial implications in mind i.e. formulary development

 

• Advising on the storage and disposal of prescribed medicine. This is important as many patients prescribed strong opioids susceptible to abuse if not dispose of properly

 

• Advising on alternative formulations in patients with swallowing difficulties