The Pharmacist

PHARMACEUTICAL CAREGIVER

1. Pharmacists are patient-centered and outcomes-oriented. 
2. Pharmacists work in concert with the patient and the patient's other healthcare providers to promote health, prevent disease, and assess, monitor, initiate, and modify medication use to ensure that drug therapy regimens are safe and effective. 
3. The pharmacist provides caring services of the highest quality. He/she must be comfortable interacting with individuals and populations. 
4. He/she must view his or her practice as integrated and continuous with those of the health care system and other pharmacists. Their goal is to optimize the patient's health-related quality of life and achieve positive clinical outcomes, within realistic economic expenditures. 

Situation: As a Clinical Pharmacist who embraces the philosophy of Pharmaceutical Care by providing patient care that optimizes medication therapy and promotes health, wellness and disease prevention.

RESEARCHER

1. Pharmacists find new cures for untreated illnesses or medicines with fewer side effects for the benefit of patients. They play various roles from designing or implementing protocols to conducting of trials, to studying or comparing the effectiveness and safety of new medicines before their launch into markets. 
2. The altruistic motive to discover better drugs other than those available and a reduction of the cost of existing drugs are all stimulating factors to keep research always on the go.

Situation: As a Clinical Researcher concerned with the formulation of new drug compounds into dosage form and improving existing formulation and production processes directed towards the discovery and search for the application of new knowledge for the benefit of mankind.

MANAGER

1. Today's pharmacist works in a fast-paced and outcomes-oriented healthcare environment. Pharmacists must foster leadership skills by delivering engaging and evidence-based instruction in an efficient and accessible manner. 
2. The Pharmacist- Manager controls all keys to the pharmacy as well as the ultimate security of the pharmacy. The pharmacist must effectively manage resources (human, physical, and fiscal) and information. He or she must also be comfortable being managed by others, whether an employer or the manager/leader of a healthcare team.

Situation: As a Pharmacist-Manager who shares new information about medicines and related products with his/her healthcare team.

COMMUNICATOR

1. Interaction between the pharmacist and the patient must occur to assure that a relationship based upon caring, trust, open communication, cooperation, and mutual decision-making is established and maintained. In this relationship, the pharmacist holds the patient's welfare paramount, maintains an appropriate attitude of caring for the patient's welfare, and uses all his/her professional knowledge and skills on the patient's behalf. 
2. In exchange, the patient agrees to supply personal information and preferences and participate in the therapeutic plan. The pharmacist develops mechanisms to assure the patient has access to pharmaceutical care at all times. The pharmacist is in an ideal position between physician and patient. As such, he or she must be knowledgeable and confident while interacting with other health professionals and the public. 
3. Communication involves verbal, non-verbal, listening and writing skills. Thus, An effective pharmacist-communicator must possess strong verbal and written communication skills. 

Situation: Community Pharmacists who do patient counseling to supply personal information and preferences to encourage patient participation in the therapeutic plan.

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LEADER

1. Pharmacists are in a unique position to provide strategic and valued leadership organization-wide, with an impact on both the blunt and sharp end of patient care. 
2. With the growing cost and complexity of medication treatment alternatives, as well as systems of administration and distribution and their effects, pharmacy has evolved to a complex business component with the unique clinical, distributive and administrative potential to materially impact the patient's and the organization's bottom line. 
3. At every level, in every role, Pharmacists have the opportunity to exert leadership to influence a culture of safety, efficiency/effectiveness and results. Whether the pharmacist finds him/herself in multidisciplinary caring situations or in areas where other healthcare providers are in short supply or non-existent, he/she is obligated to assume a leadership position in the overall welfare of the community. 
4. Leadership involves compassion and empathy as well as the ability to make decisions, communicate, and manage effectively. Effective leadership is essential if pharmacists are to provide high-quality patient service and deliver the concept of pharmaceutical care.

Situation: As a Leader/Officer of an Organization who exerts a major influence in the future of Pharmacy.

LIFE-LONG LEARNER

1. It is no longer possible to learn all one must learn in school in order to practice a career as a pharmacist. The concepts, principles and commitment to life-long learning must begin while attending pharmacy school and must be supported throughout the pharmacist’s career. 
2. Pharmacists shall continually improve their levels of professional knowledge and skills. 
3. Pharmacists assume the responsibility of continually evaluating and improving their professional competence to enhance their ability to provide patient care. 
4. Being a pharmacist means undergoing a lifelong process of active participation in learning activities that assist individuals in developing and maintaining continuing competence, enhancing their professional practice, and supporting the achievement of their career goals. 
5. Pharmacists must serve their educational needs and interests such as taking part in continuing education and applying their learning to patient care, progress toward their goals is documented. 

Situation: As a Pharmacist in any field who constantly practices his/her profession and possess a great spirit of inquisitiveness to improve care for the patients.

DECISION MAKER

1. The appropriate, efficacious, and cost-effective use of resources (e.g., personnel, medicines, chemicals, equipment, procedures, and practices) should be at the foundation of the pharmacist’s work. Achieving this goal requires the ability to evaluate, synthesize and decide upon the most appropriate course of action. 
2. A pharmacist represents her profession and carries with her the reputation and the image of the profession.

Situation: As a Professional who honestly obeys the Laws and Ethics of a Pharmacist to prevent and eliminate unethical practices, is an important responsibility of the profession.

ENTREPRENEUR

1. The pharmacist introduces and educates healthcare providers on new treatment options. He/she acts as an important channel of distribution from pharmaceutical companies to the end-users. 
2. The pharmacist, whose professional ethics demand a concern for the interest of patients, can make a contribution to proper marketing practices related to health care and to the provision of appropriate information to health professionals and the public. 

Situation: As a Medication Distributor of a Drug Manufacturing Company works with prescribers and other health care professionals to ensure that the medications prescribed are: eligible for coverage, of high quality, affordable, and projected to do no harm.

TEACHER

1. Participating as a teacher not only imparts knowledge to others, it offers an opportunity for the practitioner to gain new knowledge and fine-tune existing skills. 
2. Pharmacists are responsible for the nature and quality of pharmaceutical education. What they do, what and how they teach shapes the course of the profession. 

Situation: As a Pharmacist in the Academe field who assists with the education and training of future generations of pharmacists.

AGENT OF POSITIVE CHANGE

1. Pharmacists practicing their profession in whatever field they have chosen are agents of positive change in our society. 
2. Pharmacists support positive changes in the health care system by actively influencing and participating in health policy development, review, and revision. 
3. Pharmacists shall cooperate with colleagues and other health care professionals and support the prudent use of health resources so that maximum benefits to patient care can be realized. 
4. Pharmacists respect the professional relationship with the patient and act with honesty, integrity, and compassion.

Situation: As a Pharmacist who devotes his/her services to providing health-related quality of life to society.

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