Optimal drug therapy: the role of the pharmacist in bridging the gap between knowledge and action

Drug expenditures are rising more rapidly than other health care spending. There are a number of reasons for this difference, including the volume of medications available. Optimal drug therapy is the goal for every patient. Physicians and nurses are experiencing difficulty coping with increased health care needs and have not been able to control drug expenditures. Pharmacists, who are trained to deliver pharmaceutical care, should be an integral part of the system. Improved partnerships among patients, physicians and pharmacists have shown conclusively that the pharmacist has an important role in the delivery of health care cost effectiveness. Together, using their respective knowledge base, pharmacists and physicians could provide optimal drug therapy, which would be of benefit to patients and the health care system. This might involve a change in the reimbursement system for pharmacists.