Recent Developments In the past 20 years the pharmacist’s new role as therapeutic advisor is most noticeable in the hospital setting. But the duty to oversee drug therapy in the community through the use of patient profiles is another vital aspect of pharmacy practice. Social and market forces have combined
To prove that a person acted negligently, one must show that he or she failed to exercise a degree of care that a person of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. To win a pharmacist negligence case, the plaintiff must prove four elements: duty, breach of that
The practice of pharmacy has greatly evolved from ancient times to the present. In colonial America, the village apothecary served as both doctor and pharmacist. Later, as “druggists,” pharmacists acquired the skills to compound and formulate more complex medicines. The rise of the pharmaceutical industry after WWII diminished the pharmacist’s
Every year, as many as 7,000 Americans die because of medication errors. Many of these deaths are preventable and, in spite of efforts to reduce prescription mistakes, these tragedies persist. Developing an understanding as to how these problems arise is the best way to anticipate problems and avoid being hurt
#5 Heparin Basic Characteristics Heparin is an anticoagulant. It is used to reduce the clotting ability of the blood and to prevent the formation of harmful clots in blood vessels. Heparin is sometimes called a blood thinner but it does not actually thin the blood. Although it will not dissolve
#4 Albuterol Basic Characteristics Albuterol is a drug used to treat the symptoms of asthma, an inflammatory lung disease that causes difficulty in breathing. Asthma is a chronic condition in which the airways react when stimulated by an allergen or other triggers in the environment. Symptoms of an asthma attack
#3 Potassium Chloride Basic Characteristics Potassium is a mineral found in many foods, including tomatoes, beans, peas, lentils, bananas and sweet potatoes. The body requires a certain level of potassium in order to keep the heart beating. Potassium chloride is a compound created by combining potassium and chlorine. This compound
#2 Morphine Basic Characteristics Morphine is an opioid pain medication made from the opium poppy. It is used to treat moderate to severe pain and is one of the world’s oldest known analgesics (pain relievers). Morphine is also classified as a narcotic drug and works by changing the way the
#1: Insulin Basic Characteristics Insulin is a hormone made by cells inside the pancreas. Its purpose is to help the body use and store the blood glucose it obtains from food. In people with Type 1 diabetes the pancreas can no longer produce insulin. Therefore, these patients require insulin shots
Beginning in the 1990s, people with severe back and neck pain began to rely on spinal steroid injections to relieve their discomfort and help them avoid surgery. The injections, which combine a steroid with a numbing medication, seemed to quiet irritated and inflamed nerves. By 2011, 2.5 million Medicare patients,
Medication errors can be costly and are often caused by the hectic, multi-tasking work environments of many drug retailers. In one scenario, a busy pharmacist receives a telephone call from a doctor’s office with a prescription order for digoxin, a heart drug. The pharmacist counts out the correct mediation, pours
Nowadays, there seems to be a pill for just about everything. For those of us lucky enough not to be sick, pharmaceutical companies will happily sell us drugs to fend off a multitude of potential maladies. Unlike in the past, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came under constant
