Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Open Access

Community Pharmacy: Enhancing Health through Local Care and Accessibility

Yongse Kao^{* *}Correspondence: Yongse Kao, Department of Health System, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, Email:

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Description

Community pharmacies, often referred to as Retail Pharmacies, are among the most prevalent kind of pharmacies whereby anyone may obtain prescription drugs and health-related information. Historically referred to as chemist, the healthcare facility is in charge of giving pharmaceutical services to a certain community group or area. The majority of local drug stores include a retail space where they sell both OTC (Over-The- Counter) and prescription-only pharmaceuticals.

Since pharmacists may give specific guidance about medical conditions and medication whenever required without a scheduled appointment, community pharmacists are regarded as one of the most approachable health professionals to the general public. In the United Kingdom, 89% of people can stroll for 20 minutes to get to a community pharmacy. Community pharmacy comes in various varieties. They vary from one another from small, independently run pharmacies in isolated rural villages to massive chains found in major supermarkets and shopping centers.

The kinds of these neighborhood pharmacies also rely on the laws that apply there. For instance, substantial chains of independently operated pharmacies can be found in the United States. This is in contrast to several European countries that restrict the number of pharmacies that a registered pharmacist may possess. As a result, owning a big chain of pharmacies is not possible. Typically, a community pharmacist's job is to provide patients their prescription drugs in accordance with the doctor's order. Still, the pharmacist's job has advanced significantly, and they are now heavily involved in many other health programs.

Community pharmacists are essential to the healthcare system in any nation because they handle patients' needs for access to medications. But in India, a community pharmacist's primary responsibility still remains to dispense medications. The majority of community pharmacists nationwide still hardly ever provide patient-centered care. The fast expansion of local medication manufacturing and national healthcare spending may have an impact on the community pharmacist's function and, with it, their capacity to handle medications.

Providing community members guidance and healthcare services is now a higher priority in the new course. Community pharmacy should prioritize self-care. They serve as many people's initial point of contact for minor diseases and support in leading a healthy lifestyle. These adjustments may provide better access to healthcare and lessen the burden on urgent care and general practitioners. However, community pharmacies are having trouble finding new employees.

With the launch of new national services, individuals can be recommended for a same-day, personal appointment with a pharmacist by phoning NHS 111 or their GP practice. Plans exist to expand services, such as expanding access to medications used in palliative care. Research insights could guarantee that modifications are supported by data. This Collection compiles findings from studies that have been featured in easily available summaries, or NIHR Alerts, during the previous few years. For community pharmacists, their teams, and those hiring them, it offers helpful information.

Community pharmacists can offer helpful tools like reusable pill boxes for everyday usage, and they are in a good position to assist those who need their regular medicine. Those who take a complicated variety of medications and have several medical issues will find this to be extremely beneficial.

Taking care of several medications is a lot of labor and a big obligation for members of the community, their families, and their professions. Recent studies examined this burden on the elderly and those nearing the final stage of their lives and offered suggestions for how pharmacy service teams and other stakeholders could support these efforts.

Due to a variety of circumstances, the traditional understanding of the pharmaceutical industry in community drug stores is currently in danger of disappearing completely. Online pharmacies are becoming more and more popular due to their capacity to meet consumer demand, among other reasons. However, they are putting "face-to-face" communication in jeopardy, which has an impact on the development of client loyalty that stems from direct "human" engagement, and ultimately diminish pharmacists to simply commercial entities.

The importance of care that prioritizes patient’s communication is highlighted as the key to developing a strong and suitable rapport with the patient, optimizing the effectiveness of the consultation process, and enhancing the professionalism of the pharmacist in community pharmacy.

Future professionals would be better equipped to approach public relations if behavioral, interactions, informative, and sociological techniques and methods were more widely studied and practiced. This would enable the formation of more effective skills used for offering an efficient consultancy service.

By giving out medications as well as complimentary medical advice without an appointment, the pharmacist serves as a gobetween for the patient and the physician. Despite the fact that for many patients, pharmacists may be the initial point of contact, they are a resource that is comparatively underutilized and are virtually "invisible" in terms of current health care regulations.

To improve their career, pharmacists are starting to reimagine themselves by figuring out ways to play a bigger part in community pharmacy. Their main goals were, generally speaking, to get to know the patient better and to become more professional by taking on the heavy duty of giving the right counsel (decision-making authority).