Adopting innovations that put patients first
The healthcare industry has been rapidly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of patients, while also maintaining the highest standards of care. Pharmacists too have since expanded their responsibilities, with some taking on additional functions involving immunization, health screening, health financing, and utilization of medical devices, to name a few. They also play profound roles in offering reliable health information, providing therapeutically equivalent medicines, or utilizing certain medical devices that require special instructions.
Pharmacists have also been agile in welcoming technology to improve pharmacy workflow, enabling professionals in the field to concentrate more on patient care. Automation has helped pharmacists delegate dispensing to technological tools and focus more on establishing connection with patients.
Similarly, the rise of telemedicine has allowed pharmacists to connect with patients for consultations despite on-ground restrictions. Remote audio and video consultations permitted pharmacists to extend customer care and clinical services to more people who cannot physically go to drugstores and pharmacies, particularly those in underserved areas.
Laying the foundations of achieving transformation
Ultimately, this capacity to embrace agility in innovating within the industry needs to be primarily rooted in pharmacy education and its programs. To identify and apply new knowledge within their practice, aspiring pharmacists need to be equipped with critical thinking and sound decision making in pharmacotherapy at the onset. Additionally, education programs must allow them to put theories into practice and collaborate with other professionals in the field to improve patients’ overall quality of life.
Webinars are also innovative educational tools pharmacists can maximize for further learning and upskilling. Stay updated on upcoming educational webinars for pharmacists by checking the Unilab Health+ for Pharmacists app. If you don’t have the app yet, you may download it on Android here or on iOS here.
Unilab continues to root for pharmacists who continue to be at the forefront of global transformation within the healthcare industry. Let us continue to be agile in the face of challenges so that we can collectively improve every Filipino’s quality of life.
Sources:
https://www.ipsf.org/article/role-pharmacists-health-systems
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3758081/
https://drugstorenews.com/coming-years-more-retail-pharmacy-brands-will-adopt-technology-gain-competitive-edge
