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Community pharmacy includes all of those establishments that are privately owned and whose function, in varying degree, is to serve societies need for both drug products and the pharmaceutical services.
Or Community pharmacy is a unique hybrid of professionalism and business. In addition to dispensing pharmaceuticals, pharmacist in community (retail) pharmacies answers questions about prescription and over the counter (OTC) drugs and give advice about home health care supplies and durable medical equipments.
Community pharmacy include a great variety of pharmacy services ranging from corporately owned chain pharmacy, to the pharmacy department in supermarket or an independently owned pharmaceutical shop that provide prescription service plus a relatively few lined of health related products.
SCOPE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY
As we know that there is a steep rise in the field of the medical and health services due to introduction of various latest techniques and globalization of medical profession. Population of whole world is rising tremendously day by day, during the last few decades it has been realized that additional medical and health services are insufficient for overall improvement of health status. Due to above reasons there is a requirement of a equal participation of all health professionals to obtain a common goal of disease prevention and health promotion. Nowadays community pharmacists are paying their attention toward the health patients, environment of the patients and the state of patients general wellness, counseling of the patients about drug related matters, health, diseased state, nutrition and drug abuse etc.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMUNITY
PHARMACIST
Following are the area where a community pharmacist can be actively involved to serve the community.
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2 _________________________________ A Textbook of Community Pharmacy
- In all drug related problems like counseling on proper use of OTC and prescribed medicines, recording of drug and medical problem histories, immunization schedules, refer of patients to a specific health care professionals, etc.
- A community pharmacist may involve actively into the area of Pharmacoepidimiology. Pharmacoepidimilogy is the post marketing phase of clinical trial of a drug, which concern with the safety or risk assessment of a new drug after coming in market.
- A community pharmacist may involve in the control of serious communicable disease, by making community aware through counseling. By this method a lot of diseases like tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes genitals, AIDS and hepatitis can be controlled. 4 A community pharmacist can encourage, his/her patient to prevent themselves from various chronic diseases by using various proven techniques of preventions like risk of strokes of heart can be reduced by control of the high blood pressure check up, for regulate intake of prescribed medicine, quitting smoking, controlling high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol intake and increase in physical exercise.
- A community pharmacist may also involve in patient health education through the use of pamphlets and bulletins freely available on display racks.
- A community pharmacist may provide counseling to pregnant ladies about material and child health, hygiene, management of pregnancy, material diet and other diseased or sub nutritional states. A community pharmacist can also play a major role by guiding the parents for the protection of child against the disease of childhood by proper immunization schedule.
- A community pharmacist may guide patients about nutrition intake according to the requirement of the patient and their disease states.
- A community pharmacist can make community aware about environmental health like food born disease, local hazards, carcinogens, etc.
- A community pharmacist may provide counseling to the persons involved in alcoholism and drug abuse about the hazards and side effects or draw backs of those evils, and may refer these patients for proper treatment to an appropriate health professional.
4 _________________________________ A Textbook of Community Pharmacy
This involves the supply of commonly required medicines without any delay. It also involves emergency supplies at all the time.
Conduct of the pharmacy: The arrangement in the Pharmacy should be of such grade that it avoids risk or error of accidental contamination in the preparation, dispensing, supply of medicines. There should be pharmacist in personal control of pharmacy who will be regarded as primarily responsible for the conducts. A notice stating that dispensing under employees states insurance scheme (E.S.I.S.) or any scheme sponsored by government is carried out may be displayed at the premises.
Handling of prescriptions: Prescription should be received by a pharmacist without any comment over it regarding the merits and demerits of its therapeutic efficacy. Any question on a prescription should be answered with every caution and care. It is not within the privilege of a pharmacist to add, omit, or substitute any ingredient or other the composition of a prescription should be taken.
Apprentice pharmacist: A pharmacist should see that the apprentice trainee is given full facilities for their work, so that completion on their training they have acquired sufficient technique and skill to make themselves dependable pharmacist.
Pharmacist in relation to his trade
Price structure: Price charged from customers, should be fair and in keeping with quality and quantity on commodity supplied.
Fair trade practice: No attempt should be made to capture business of a contemporary by cut throat competition, by any short of prizes or gifts or any kind of allurement to patronize or by knowing charging lower prices for medical commodities than those charged by a fellow pharmacist. Labels, trade marks and other signs and symbols of contemporaries should not be copied.
Purchase of drugs: Drugs should always be purchased from genuine and reputable source.
Hawking of drugs: Hawking of drugs and medicinal nor should any attempt be made to solicit order for substances from door to door. Selfservices method of operating pharmacies and drug store should not be used.
Advertising and displays: No display material, either no premises, in the press or elsewhere should be used by a pharmacist in connection with the sale to the public of the medicines or medical appliances, which is undignified in style or which contains :-
(a) Any wording, design or illustration, reflecting unfavorably, on pharmacist collectively, or upon any group of individuals. (b) A disparaging reference, direct or by implication of other suppliers products, remedies or treatments.
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(c) Misleading or exaggerated statements or claims. (d) The word cure in reference to an ailment or symptoms of ill health. (e) A guarantee of therapeutic efficacy. (f) An appeal to fear. (g) A prize, competition or similar scheme. (h) A guarantee of therapeutic efficacy. (i) Any reference to medical practitioner or a hospital or use of the term Doctor or Dr. or Nurse in connection with the name of a preparation, not already established. (j) A reference to sexual weakness, premature aging or loss of virility. (k) A reference to complaint of sexual nature in terms, which take the reticence proper to the subject. No articles or preparation, advertised to the public by means of display material of a kind mentioned above should be exhibited in pharmacy. Contraceptive preparations and appliances or their illustrations except a notice approved by regulations or bearing the word family planning requisites should not be exhibited.
Pharmacist in relation to medical profession
Limitation of professional activity: It should be made a general rule that pharmacists, under no circumstances, take to medical practice, which is to diagnosing diseases and prescribing remedies therefore, even if requested by persons to do so. In case of accidents and emergencies a pharmacist may, however render first aid to victim.
Clandestine arrangements: No pharmacist should enter in to a secret arrangements or contract with a physician, to offer him any commission or any advantage by recommending his dispensary or drug store or even his self to patients.
Libation with public : Being a link between medical profession and people, a pharmacist always keep himself updated by regularly reading books, journals, magazines and other periodicals. A pharmacist should never disclose any information, which he has acquired during his professional activities to nay third party or person, unless required by law to do so.
Pharmacist in relation to his profession
Professional vigilance: It is a duty of the pharmacist to make other bound to fulfill the provisions of the pharmaceutical and other laws and regulations. It is obligatory for a pharmacist to extend help and corporation to a fellow member in his legitimate needs, scientific, technical or otherwise, he is to be, at the same time make a vigilance to stop
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Plan of an Ideal Retail and Whole Sale Drug Store
One of the main factors responsible for the success of a drug store its location and proper layout design. An ideal plan for proper layout design of a retail drug store and whole sale drug store.
Objective of layout design
- To attract a large number of customer.
- To increase the sale of a store.
- To reduce the selling expenses to a minimum.
- To provide the customer satisfaction.
- To have space for reserve for stock, office and resting place for the employees.
- To have a proper entrance for coming goods.
- To project a professional image and improve general appearance.
- To minimize the movement of customers with in the premises of the drug store. A modern drug store should fulfill all the requirements in schedule N of the drug and cosmetic rules, 1945. To start a retail drug store a minimum of 150 sq. meter area is required similarly to whole sale drug store a minimum of 200 sq. meter area is required.
10 Sq. feet Storage Freezer
Chair
Table Racks 15 Sq. feet
Racks
Waiting Area
Display Window Entrance
10 Sq. feet Rack Rack Rack Rack
Freezer
Rack
20 Sq. feet Rack
Chair Waiting area
Display Window Entrance Retail drug store design Whole sale drug store design The legal requirements for the establishment of retail drug store. For retail sale two types of licenses are issued.
- General licenses
- Restricted licenses
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General licenses: General licenses are granted to persons who have the premises for the business and who engage the services of a qualified person to supervise the sale of drug store.
Licenses for retail sale of drugs other than those specified in schedule C,C1 and X are issued in form 20 for drug specified in C, C1 excluding those specified in schedule X in form 21 and for schedule X drugs in form 20F.
Condition for general licenses:
- The licenses should be displayed in prominent place in a part of premises open to the public.
- The licenses should comply with the provisions of drugs and cosmetics act and rules there under in force.
- Any change in the qualified staff should be reported to the licensing authority within one month.
- Precaution prescribed by the licensing authority for the storage of schedule C and C1 drugs should be observed.
- For the sale of additional categories of drugs listed in schedule C, C1 excluding X the licensee must take prior permission of the licensing authority. Restricted licenses: The licenses for the restricted sale of drug other than those specified in schedule C, C1 and X and those specified in schedule C and C1 but not in schedule in X are issued in form 20A and 21A respectively.
Condition for restricted licenses:
- The licensee must have adequate premises equipped with facilities for the proper storage of drugs to which the licenses applies provided that this condition does apply to vendors.
- Licensee should be complying with the provisions of the drugs and cosmetics act and rules there under in force.
- Drugs only purchased from a duly licensed dealer or manufacturer.
- The licenses can deal only in such drug as can be sold without the supervision of qualified person.
- Drugs should be sold in their original container. Staff (Personnel): Personnel or staff selection is one of the most important aspects of developing an efficient operating community pharmacy. Success of a community pharmacy depends upon proper selection training, and maintenance of employees (staff).
Selection of staff: Following criteria should be followed during the selection of the staff for community pharmacy:
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l Policy of coffee break. l Rules about punctuality. l Uniform rules and paying schedule for uniform purchase and maintenance. l Safety and security regulations. l Telephone usage and answering authority of telephonic questions. l Personal telephone usage. l Vacation policy. l Policy regarding leave (sick or personal business). l Opportunities and procedures for advancement or promotions. l Policies on employees purchase and discount. These points concern to both the employer and the employee so a clear discussion about them prevents, reduces problems between employers and the employee.
After a general orientation to the pharmacy, the employee needs specific training in the duties and responsibilities of the job. Sinkor swim method of training is insufficient to pick up knowledge on the job, for this purpose a community pharmacy should arrange a sophisticated training program. There are effective simple training methods that can be used. The sponsored system of training is most suitable for a pharmacy. A new employee is assigned to a capable experienced employee who explains and demonstrates the job in questions. Conference method can also be used, by itself of sponsored system.
Compensation: Retaining good employees is one of the most difficult problems faced by the community pharmacy manger. Many factors decides keeping of employees but most important factor is the compensation plan. Adequate compensation is necessary, not only to retain employee but also to encourage them to work toward the over all goals and objectives of the pharmacy.
IMPORTANCE OF CODING AND STOCKING
Importance of coding for drug store: Coding is the process of assigning of code symbol or a number to a particular material for easy identification. It is important for a drug store because;
- Coding of various items of materials is essential for good system of store keeping.
- Ambiguity in description is avoided.
- The length in description is minimized.
- The codes ensure of item lying in the store.
- Each stored item is easily identified, particularly, where the same item is known by more than one name.
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Importance of stocking for drug store
- Drugs are stored in alphabetical order.
- It provides a channel for distribution of drugs.
- It provides space for storage of drugs or materials and supplies.
- Drugs are readily available for administration.
- Vaccine and antibiotic drugs are stored in refrigerator. Maintenance of various registers (records) in community pharmacy: For various reasons it is very important to maintain various legal, financial and professional records in a community pharmacy. Type of records required in a community pharmacy may be classified as following:
- Legal records (records required by law regarding the acquisition and disposition of drugs)
- Patients record (records regarding patients utilization of drugs)
- Financial records (records regarding the past and present financial status of pharmacy) This is the duty of the management to identify the specific record required, development of the system and assuming the responsibility of capable personal for day to day record keeping.
(1) Legal records (registers): According to federal and sate law, the pharmacy owner (manager) is responsible for maintenance of accurate up-to-date records of specific classes of drugs and poisons according to Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940. Rules 1945 and The Poison Act 1919, the pharmacist is responsible for maintaining accurate records related to acquisition and disposition of certain drugs that are supposed to be subject to possible misuse or abuse. According to law it is required to maintain a record on the distribution of poison and hazardous substances. Improperly maintained or incomplete records can bring legal action and penalties.
(2) Patients records: To include patients drug histories those type of records are maintained, although the format of records may vary according to basic ideas of establishing a record. Records may be based on family unit basis that allows the pharmacist to monitor the drug usage of each member of family. It provides basic information about kinds and amounts of drugs being taken by average patients, which helps in reducing the problems associated with drug interactions and individuals idiosyncrasies to drugs. These records also serve in economic purposes, as source of information for insurance claims and for income tax deduction of the patients.
(3) Financial records: Properly collect and organized accounting data serves various important uses as follows:
l Serves as a basic tool for efficient management and measuring its effect.
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(5) Accounting and business management: Business record keeping Prescription analysis.
QUESTIONS
- Write a note on scope of community pharmacy.
- What is the scope of community pharmacy in India?
- What is the role of community pharmacist?
- Write a note on the staff in community pharmacy.
- Give a plan of an ideal retail and whole sale drug store.
- What are the legal requirements for the establishment of drug store?
- Write a note on maintenance of record in a retail drug store.
- Discuss the design and organization of wholesale drug store.
- Write a note on role of pharmacist in drug store.
- Briefly discuss the responsibilities of a community pharmacist.
- What are the legal requirements for setting a community pharmacy?
- Briefly discuss the code of ethics of a community pharmacy.
- What is the parameter for lay out of a community pharmacy?
- How does register maintained in a community pharmacy?
- Write a note on coding and stocking.
- Discuss the importance of computers in a community pharmacy.
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