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Improving medication use through pharmacists' access to patient-specific health care information
Marsha K Millonig1, Terri L Jackson, William M Ellis
1Healthcare Distribution Management Association Healthcare Foundation, Reston, VA., USA.
Objective:
To review and discuss the importance of pharmacists having access to patient-specific health care information in order to provide pharmaceutical care.
Data Sources:
Articles identified through searches of MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts using the following key words: information, decision making, and pharmacist.
Study Selection:
English-language articles were evaluated for inclusion.
Data Synthesis:
Pharmacists have demonstrated their ability to positively affect patient outcomes related to medication use, including reducing patients' risk for medication-related adverse effects.
Conclusion:
Pharmacists, with proper access to patient-specific health care information, can reduce patients' risk for medication-related problems and improve the quality of their health care.