Nonprescription drug therapy: issues and opportunities.

Full Abstract

Nonprescription drug therapy is tightly woven into the fabric of American health care. Market forces are expected to contribute to significant expansion of nonprescription drug use. Consumers place high value on nonprescription drug therapy; however, self-medicating patients frequently need assistance from a learned intermediary to assure optimal integration of nonprescription drug therapy into the total care regimen. Pharmacist-assisted self-care holds vast potential to serve the public interest, but this expanded practice role will require higher levels of professional practice commitment by American pharmacy. That commitment must be supported by practice-relevant, competency-based, patient-centered college and school of pharmacy curricula and continuing education that assures perpetual intellectual proficiency in nonprescription drug pharmacotherapy. That knowledge and competency must be integrated holistically into the total mix of patient comorbidity and polypharmacy. The pharmacist-assisted self-care business and professional practice model must be further facilitated by state and national pharmacy organizations, chain and independent community pharmacy, pharmacy wholesalers, and others. Consumers await expanded and differentiated pharmacy-based, pharmacist-provided medication therapy management services focused on the safe, appropriate, and effective selection, use, and monitoring of nonprescription drugs therapy.

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Author information

Author/s: Covington, Tim R (TR);

Affiliation: Managed Care Institute, Samford University, Birmingham, AL 35229, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: American journal of pharmaceutical education (Am J Pharm Educ), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Dec; vol 70 (issue 6) : pp 137

Dates: Created 2007/03/02; Completed 2007/03/29; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 17332863, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Community Pharmacy Services - standards
Humans
Nonprescription Drugs - administration & dosage; standards

Patient Education as Topic - methods; standards
Pharmacists - standards
Self Medication - methods; standards

Associated Chemicals: Nonprescription Drugs (0)

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