Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. -- In the last quarter century, pharmacists have expanded their role in health care delivery systems.
And the pharmacists' role as a highly valued member within your personal healthcare team is highlighted under the Army's new Patient-Centered Medical Home "System For Health."
Pharmacists are medication experts who work to ensure your health and safety in today's team-based PCMH System For Health.
They are also a member of your healthcare team's daily "huddle," where each patient's care plan is reviewed and discussed by the group prior to meeting with you during an appointment.
Contributions to the huddle come from a multidisciplinary team that includes the patient's primary care manager, team nurses, nurse case managers, behavioral health professionals, clinical pharmacists and others.
This focus on proactive and comprehensive care, and team communication, all works together for patient safety and healthcare quality.
What used to be a profession focused solely on preparing and dispensing medications, has evolved into a profession where pharmacists provide a wide range of patient-oriented services to maximize medication effectiveness.
These services include clinical services, with emphasis on diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, anticoagulation, pain management, and asthma, as well as pharmacotherapy consultation with patients and their providers.
Pharmacists practice in a wide range of settings such as community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, the pharmaceutical industry, mail service, managed care, academia, and government (Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service and Public Health Service).
After six years of college, largely focused on medications and how they work, pharmacists are truly medication experts. This extensive training makes the pharmacist the most knowledgeable health care professional when it comes to medicines and their use.
In today's world, medicines have greater power to heal and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans.
But medicines can also do serious harm if not taken correctly.
The most expensive medication is the one that doesn't work, so choose your pharmacist as carefully as you choose your physician.
Our pharmacists know that a patient needs to choose a pharmacist that they feel at ease with.
Your health and safety is our primary focus.
As your pharmacist reaches out to discuss your medication and how to properly take it, take advantage of this time to ensure they have all the information they need to give you proper direction. Discuss all of your medications with them so that they can ensure your medications don't cause possible harmful drug interactions.
Ensure your pharmacist is aware of any allergies to certain drugs too.
The pharmacist can also discuss your medications' possible side effects, like what foods, drinks or activities should be avoided while on a medication, what you should do if you miss a dose, and a wide range of other helpful information.
The pharmacist is a key health care professional within your health care team who can ensure you achieve the best results from your medications.
The General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital pharmacy employs 17 pharmacists and 29 pharmacy technicians.
This pharmacy staff here dispenses 1,200 to 1,800 prescriptions per day in the outpatient pharmacies, 600 per day in the refill pharmacy, 300 per day in the inpatient pharmacy, and 1,500 per day at the Consolidated Troop Medical Clinic pharmacy.
We are here to help you with the safest and most effective pharmacy service possible.
We look forward to building a partnership with you, for your good health.
(Editor's note: The Pharmacy Division is located in the new north wing of General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital)
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