Clinical pharmacy
In general, the responsibility of a doctor is to identify the exact cause of disease and prescribing drug to treat the disease. After that, the responsibility of clinical pharmacist is to check drug interaction, any prior hypersensitivity to prescribed multiple drugs, giving instructions on when & how to use drugs and advising on safe & rational use of drug. Although, in our country doctors do their task properly but the patient cannot get proper instructions of above mentioned from a graduate (registered) clinical pharmacist. So, inappropriate use of drug causes the treatment failure in our country while the same prescription of drugs in other countries results in cure of disease. In my practical experience, a physician prescribed flucloxacillin 500mg tablet (Generic name) 4 times a day without mentioning the time of taking drug (because he is busy identifying disease). As usual, patient took this drug after meal & there was no benefit from this drug because the absorption of flucloxacillin is almost zero if taken after meal (it must be taken at least 30 minutes before meal).These types of situations including drug interactions & hypersensitivity occur in silence due to no job facilities of graduate pharmacist in hospital or clinic.
The government should take necessary steps for establishment of clinical pharmacy practice to ensure better healthcare.
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