NP/PAs will replace hospital pharmacists?

[owlegrad]

Lulz. You know, as I learn more and more about pharmacy, I don't understand why people say retail isn't "clinical". You can do a lot of "clinical" work in a retail/community setting simply by asking the patient lots of questions- what are your home BP readings, when was your last pap, why are you asking about Azo, tell me more about your rash, how many times a day are you checking your glucose and what do you mean your machine is complicated, what color is your mucus at 3pm, what do you mean you wake up in the night and have to stand for a while before you feel better, how many pillows are you using, how many times are you going to the bathroom, how long have you had this cough, would you like to talk more about quitting smoking, what is the pain in your legs like, etcetcetc. Just by talking to your patients, you could probably do a lot. I think the companies are what is ruining retail/community pharmacy. You can't blame a person for needing a job and picking a retail spot close to home. But, you don't have to become a mindless pill slinging drone either.

Can I like x100? I couldn't agree more.

Not to mention BP screenings, Glucose screenings, brown bag events, flu clinics, MTM, etc. I have met a few retail pharmacist who I consider to be very active in the community and "clinical" at their job. Contrast this to *some* hospital jobs of setting around doing order entry all day and it's no comparison which is more clinical.

In fact just the nature of having to communicate with patients in order to council makes the job pretty clinical, unless you are going out of your way to not do anything "clinical".

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[ttopping]

Lulz. You know, as I learn more and more about pharmacy, I don't understand why people say retail isn't "clinical". You can do a lot of "clinical" work in a retail/community setting simply by asking the patient lots of questions- what are your home BP readings, when was your last pap, why are you asking about Azo, tell me more about your rash, how many times a day are you checking your glucose and what do you mean your machine is complicated, what color is your mucus at 3pm, what do you mean you wake up in the night and have to stand for a while before you feel better, how many pillows are you using, how many times are you going to the bathroom, how long have you had this cough, would you like to talk more about quitting smoking, what is the pain in your legs like, etcetcetc. Just by talking to your patients, you could probably do a lot. I think the companies are what is ruining retail/community pharmacy. You can't blame a person for needing a job and picking a retail spot close to home. But, you don't have to become a mindless pill slinging drone either.

I would think that most people realize that retail could and should be like that (and in some great cases it is). Unfortunately at a lot of stores it's just not practical to do a lot of that with how busy they get, and the push to be faster faster faster from corporate. Again, it varies store to store and pharmacist to pharmacist, but sometimes there's only so much you can do with how general retail has been set up.

 

[dingerx]

If doctors can't dispense, then pharmacists shouldn't consult or recommend either.

It is what it is.

You are just like the intensivist on the code the other night that couldn't figure out how to make or run a 2gm mag run for torsades. He says to the nurse, that's what the Pharm.D. is here for! Ha! For all y'all smart ones out there --> 2 gm in 50 ml NS over 5 min (without using a resource). Know your stuff and you will easily be more useful than a freaking PA. PAs are typically not that intelligent.

 

[PharmBound2011]

Know your stuff and you will easily be more useful than a freaking PA. PAs are typically not that intelligent.

Almost all the PAs I've been seen by were very intelligent. Heck, look at PA admission stats, definitely much more competitive than pharmacy in regard to both academics + healthcare experience. But really, why would a PA need to know that? A PA is basically an extension of the doc in many ways, and if the doc didn't know it, it's kind of nonsensical to expect the PA to know it. pharmacists are experts in drugs, docs (and PAs) are absolutely not. PharmD's have a skillset that is unique that the people on this thread just dont seem to get.

Despite the fact that this tread it ridiculous, I'm still surprised its made it to 4 pages on a serious tone...

 

[njac]

You are just like the intensivist on the code the other night that couldn't figure out how to make or run a 2gm mag run for torsades. He says to the nurse, that's what the Pharm.D. is here for! Ha! For all y'all smart ones out there --> 2 gm in 50 ml NS over 5 min (without using a resource). Know your stuff and you will easily be more useful than a freaking PA. PAs are typically not that intelligent.

I agree, but I hope to god they were shocking in my meantime while you were getting the mag.

 

[powertoold]

lol, it's funny how everyone, including doctors, is afraid of NPs and PAs taking other their jobs.

I can see how a select few would have very good drug knowledge, e.g. an NP in a diabetes clinic who is motivated to look up and understand drugs related to diabetes. They'll never be able to fully grasp all the concepts of pharmacy though.