It is a retail pharmacy where we can purchase medicine with a prescription. It can also be called a retail pharmacy. Community pharmacy are traditionally known as chemists, and they allow patients to access healthcare advice and medications. To get any healthcare advice from community pharmacists, you don’t need any prior appointment. Due to the easy availability of healthcare access, it is said that community pharmacists are easily accessible healthcare professionals.
Community pharmacies range from small individual shops to large chains in big shopping malls. In some countries, only registered pharmacists can own a community pharmacy or any type of pharmacy. The difference between clinical and community pharmacy is that clinical pharmacy is involved with physicians and patients in hospitals. In India, community pharmacy is the primary source of medication.
What is the Role of a Community Pharmacy or Community Pharmacist?
Previously, the role of pharmacists was only limited to dispensing medication to patients according to prescriptions by their healthcare providers. Later, the roles and responsibilities evolved.
Responsibilities of Community Pharmacists Include:
1. Checking for Drug Interactions: While, dispensing medication, considering the patient’s medical history, it should be ensured that there isn’t any interaction of the drug with existing medications. In short, proper information for safer medication.
2. Dispensing Medication: To make the administration of medication accessible and effective to patients, it is ensured to label the right medication with proper instructions.
3. Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle: Better health cannot be guaranteed by medication alone. Community pharmacists should always promote a healthy lifestyle to patients.
4. Providing Advice: Counseling patients regarding the handling of medications. Pharmacists provide advice to patients about medications and health.
5. Processing Prescriptions: Analyzing prescriptions provided by medical practitioners and preparing medication for the patient.
6. Training: Providing training to future pharmacists, which will ensure professionalism and healthcare for patients.
7. Maintaining Accurate Records: Keep detailed records of all transactions and interactions.
8. Coordinating with Vendors and Suppliers: Ensuring a steady supply of necessary medications and supplies.
Education:
The pharmacist is a trained healthcare professor from the university. Regulations have provided guidelines for the time and quality of education given to pharmacists. In India education and training of pharmacists look after by PCI. According to the EU, pharmacists should have five years of practical and theoretical training with an internship of six months.
In India, there are the following degrees:
D pharmacy:
D pharmacy is a diploma in pharmacy, which is two years. After completing the education of 10 + 2 years in science one can be admitted for D pharmacy. University admission depends on the cut of that university.
B Pharmacy:
B pharmacy is Bachelor of Pharmacy, The Course is four years, and eligibility to take admission for this course is completing 10+2 years of education in science and 50% marks in PCBM.
Pharm D:
Pharm D is a doctor in pharmacy, which is mostly related to clinical pharmacy. After completing Pharm D one can work in a clinical setting in India.
M pharmacy/ MS in pharmacy:
M pharmacy is a postgraduation program after completing B pharm. After completing Mpharm one can work in the R and D field of the pharmaceutical industry.
License for community pharmacists:
Community pharmacists are the ones who are easily accessible healthcare practitioners, so giving proper medication and proper counselling is the primary thing community pharmacists should be good at. License is to make sure to keep the quality of the healthcare system. To be a registered pharmacist in any country there are set rules for that country.
Skills community pharmacists are required to have:
Community pharmacists should have such particular skills which makes their job easy.
- Attention to details
- Patient counselling
- Organisational skills
- Medical ethics:
While training in community pharmacy, pharmacists get to be aware of medical ethics or conduct of ethics.
Space layout of community pharmacy:
By keeping all the factors in mind selection of a site should be done. It is a crucial decision because it can affect the business. There are key factors to keep in mind while choosing a location
Competition: It is important to check about competitors while stepping foot for business in a particular area. While some competition is always expected.
Demographic:
Understand that customer growth and demand. Consider population size, age and want.
Accessibility:
Accessibility of raw materials and medication are important factors to consider. Choosing a location that is accessible to a large population is always beneficial for the business. Factors such as Main roads, and parking facilities.
Regulatory consideration:
Consider that regulation bodies in which the site for community pharmacy is decided.
Infrastructure and facilities; while choosing the site consider the area that you require. Areas such as counselling area. All the areas should be easily acquired, managing space layout or having space layout planned will be beneficial to decide the site for the pharmacy.
Future growth and development:
While choosing the area for community pharmacy consider the future development of that area. Such as infrastructure and population growth.
Design for Pharmacy layout:
After deciding site, space layout is a factor that should be kept in mind too. Space layout for community pharmacies should be such that patients feel safe and comfortable around them. Space layout is important to keep the environment safe. The aesthetic of the place will make patients to come in community pharmacy. With medications, one can sell other things in a pharmacy.
Waiting area:
If there’s a queue for counselling there should be a waiting room for patients to feel comfortable. With that, the adverse reaction report corner should provided too.
OTC area:
OTC are over-the-counter medications that can have different counters so that they won’t be confused with medication that should be given with a prescription. It will make dispensing easier and the Pharmacist will have time to look for the prescription.
Counselling area:
Counselling is part of pharmacist work, there should be a dedicated area for that or it can be done on the counter too.
Product display:
Products should be displayed on the shelf to confirm the availability of the products.
Accessibility:
Products in the Pharmacy should be easily accessible.
References:
Community pharmacy: Selection of site, Space layout, and design – Pharmacy Infoline
The legal and regulatory framework for community pharmacies in the WHO European Region
Maintenance of Various Registers in Community Pharmacies (pharmacyinfoline.com)
