A description of the 7 essential traits that characterize a pharmacist.

1. Presented by,
Dr. Sam Aaseer Thamby, M.Pharm, PhD (Clinical Pharmacy)
Asst. Professor,
Faculty of Pharmacy,
Dept. of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacy Practice
AIMST University, Malaysia

3. Contents Of The Presentation
Introduction (Health, Pharmacist’s roles)
Pharmaceutical Care
SEVEN-STAR PHARMACIST
CARE-GIVER
DECISION MAKER
COMMUNICATOR
MANAGER
LIFE-LONG LEARNER
TEACHER
LEADER

4.  What is Health???
A state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
(WHO,1946)
The PHARMACIST….
Is the Medications Expert;
‘A qualified person who formulates, dispenses, and
provides clinical services and information on drugs
(medications) to health professionals, patients, and
the general public.’

5. THE
PHARMACIST
Key
component of
healthcare
team
Medications
expert
Provides quality
pharmaceutical
care to the
patients
Ensures medications’
safe supply and usage
Patient
counselling
Prescription
Review
DISPENSING
MEDICATIONS
Drug
Information
Services
• Monitoring Drug
Therapy;
• ADR monitoring;
• TPN, CDR;

6.  Practice of pharmacy has changed significantly in recent
years.
PHARMACIST’S ROLES:
 From ‘compounder’ or ‘chemist’ to ‘DRUG THERAPY
MANAGER’.
 From pre-clinical to clinical aspects (drug dispensing,
patient education, patient counseling, hospital/pharmacy
administration and community services, manufacturing,
quality control, regulatory roles);

7. PHARMACEUTICAL CARE (Hepler & Strand -1990)
 Embodies a patient-centric, outcomes-oriented practice
of pharmaceutical care;
 The pharmacist – key member of the healthcare team, with
responsibility for medication therapy outcomes;
Pharmaceutical care delivered by Pharmacists…
• is key to the effective, rational and safe use of
medications;
• optimizes patient outcomes;
• has shifted substantially toward the utilization of
pharmaceutical knowledge in the rational use of
medications by the patient.

8.  To be effective health care team members, pharmacists
need skills and attitudes enabling them to assume many
different functions.
The concept of the ‘SEVEN-STAR PHARMACIST” was
introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in
March 2014 and covered 7 roles.

10. 1. CAREGIVER
2 ‘Musts’….
• provide pharmaceutical services of the highest quality, and
• view their practice as integrated with those of the health
care system and other health professionals.
The pharmacist is the right healthcare personnel to
address any medication issues (as they have the most in-
depth pharmacotherapy knowledge and experience).

11. Caregiver (contd’.)
Can identify duplicative drugs or potential safety issues
associated with drug interactions.
Pharmacists are trained to develop and monitor rational,
effective drug therapy regimens (resulting in decreasing
medication-related errors).
Patient Counselling (to ensure medication adherence).

12. 2. DECISION-MAKER
 Take accurate decisions regarding appropriate, efficacious,
safe, and cost-effective use of resources (e.g., personnel,
medications, chemicals, equipment, procedures, and
practice protocols).
 Also play a pivotal role in setting medicines policy both at
the local and national levels.
 The pharmacist must possess the ability to evaluate
medications’ data and information, and decide upon the
most appropriate course of action.

13. Decision-maker (contd’.)
Decisions are made during/while/when…
• patient assessment, prescription filling, dispensing
medication(s); counselling the patient, monitoring
therapy;
• determining whether follow-up and/or monitoring is
appropriate;
• evaluating drug therapy effectiveness;
• creating documentation;

14. DECISIONS
Pharmacists’
Intervention
Patients’
Assessment
Considering
Therapeutic
options
Managing
Drug
Interactions
Patient
Counselling
and/or
Education
Collaborating
with other
healthcare
personnel
Patient
Follow-up
and
Monitoring

15. 3. COMMUNICATOR
Is a link between physicians, patients, and other health
care professionals;
Must possess complete updated knowledge about all the
medications;
Be confident (while communicating with patients and other
health care professionals);
Must possess effective patient communication skills;

16. Strong
communication
skills
Necessary
rapport;
trusting
relationship
Effective
exchange of
information
(for both
patient and
pharmacist)

17. 4. MANAGER
Must possess the ability to manage the natural and
commercial resources (incl. man power, physical, and
financial resources).
Must assume greater responsibility for managing drug label
information;
Ensure the quality of pharmaceutical care; and
Maintain clinical competency in patient care;

18. Manager (contd’.)
Developing and maintaining….
• department policies and procedures,
• goals, objectives of each pharmaceutical service provided,
• QA (quality assurance) programs,
• safety, environmental, and infection control standards

19. 5. LIFE-LONG LEARNER
‘3 Musts’….
• begin while attending college/university;
• be continued throughout the pharmacist’s career.
• regularly update their knowledge and skills (to be updated
with current trends in issues-related to drug therapy
management).

21. Life-long learner (contd’.)
Continuing Professional Development - the lifelong process
of active participation in learning activities that assists
individuals in developing and maintaining continuing
competence, enhancing their professional practice, and
supporting achievement of their career goals.”
(ACPE)Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
Continuous education system – structured education (to
support the continuing development to maintain and
enhance the competence).
Pharmacists also develop and maintain proficiency in
delivering patient-centered care; working as part of
interdisciplinary teams; practicing evidence-based medicine
and focusing on quality improvement.

22. 6. TEACHER
One of the pharmacist’s responsibilities is to assist with the
education and training of future generations of pharmacists
and the general public.
The dynamic mode of ‘pharmacy teaching’ offers an
opportunity for professionals to gain new knowledge and
to fine-tune their existing skills.

23. Teacher (contd’.)
The teaching sessions are best conducted in actual
practice settings, where the emerging pharmacists can
immerse themselves in a real-world pharmacy practice
experience.
The student pharmacist must also gain knowledge on
pharmacy laws and regulations to improve the professional
pharmacists’ competencies.

24. 7. LEADER
A leader …
• Creates an idea/vision and motivates other team
members to achieve that vision;
• Continually encourages constructive differences;
• Is ‘mission-driven’ without being egocentric;
• Makes decisions, communicates, and manages the team
effectively.

25. Leader (contd’.)
Pharmacy is at the heart of the healthcare system;
Pharmacists play a vital role in patient healthcare, patient
education and counseling.
Effective pharmacy leaders are experts in demonstrating
and creating high-performance pharmacy practices
characterized by the high-quality patient care, improved
medication safety, and maximum productivity.

26. In Conclusion….
 We pharmacists, must be proud of ourselves, to be
an integral part of the healthcare system, and
practice our profession in a highly professional
manner to fulfill the requirement of WHO to
emerge as ‘SEVEN-STAR PHARMACISTS’.

27. THANK YOU

28. REFERENCES
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