Information from Interviewing a Pharmacist

Interview a Pharmacist
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Information from Interviewing a Pharmacist
Through conducting the interview, important information about inter-professional collaboration between prescribers and pharmacists was obtained. Information on the correct process of filling a prescription was also obtained, and it entailed the following steps. The first step the pharmacist is required to carry out is receiving and reviewing a prescription from a physician or doctor. The review process helps determine whether the patient's health insurance covers the prescribed medication. The second step, which is vital, is translating the prescription to ensure that the information is correctly interpreted. The pharmacist is then required to fill out the patient's personal information and insurance details. The other step is the pharmacist checking the possible drug interactions, and then a clinical check is performed on the medication. The pharmacist confirms that the drug is the most effective medicine for the patient suffering from a given condition. A pharmacist is also required to perform a technical check, and, through this, the accuracy of recorded data is validated. The final and most crucial step is patient counseling, which entails informing the patient about their medication dosages, diet while on medication, and various side effects of the medicines.
Additionally, information on some of the most common reasons a pharmacist would call a provider to clarify orders was obtained. According to the pharmacist, the primary reason for making the call is to verify the clarified dose and the name of the prescription, and through this process, errors are reduced. A call is also made when the prescribed medication requires monitoring from a caregiver. Furthermore, information on what makes a proper prescription was also obtained. A proper prescription should have the patient's name and other identifiers like the date of birth and the date of prescription and permitted substitute. It should also contain the name of the medication to be taken, the frequency, and the strength of this drug. Additionally, the prescription should have the dosage amount to give to the patient and the number of refills. Also, a proper prescription should have a physician's signature or other identifiers.
Furthermore, the pharmacist shared the most common omission on prescriptions that they receive through the interview. According to the pharmacist, any omissions can lead to errors, so they have to examine the prescription closely. As explained by the pharmacist, the most common omissions were failure to record the acceptable substitute and the strength of the drug. When this vital information is omitted, the refilling process is challenging because ways have to be devised to correct the error. Also, the pharmacist shared information on various medication errors that they encountered. One of the most common is dispensing incorrect medication, which can be hazardous if taken by the patient. The other error that regularly occurs is incorrect dosage strength and dosage form that should be given to a patient. Consequently, a patient may take an under or overdose due to this error. Also another rampant medication error whose consequences are detrimental is the failure to identify drug interactions.
Additionally, information on the prior authorization (PAR) process was obtained. According to the pharmacist, some medications may need approval from the health care insurance plan before they are given to the patient. The majority of medications that require prior authorization are deemed unsafe when combined with other medications and drugs that are only prescribed for specific health conditions. Furthermore, drugs used for commercial purposes and medications known to be frequently misused require prior authorization. Some of these drugs that require prior authorization include Androgel, Copaxone, and Elidel. Consequently, when a pharmacist receives a prescription for this drug, they have an obligation to seek approval before giving it to a patient.
Reflection on the Importance of Interview Information in my Prescription Writing
Through an ...