Primary care by a pharmacist in an outpatient clinic

Primary care by a pharmacist in an outpatient clinic of the Indian Health Service is described. Primary care responsibilities of the pharmacist included the diagnosis and treatment of certain acute illnesses and the management of selected chronic disease patients. Protocols were written by the pharmacist and physician to cover 31 acute illnesses and seven chronic conditions. The pharmacist was also trained to perform many routine laboratory tests. Further, the pharmacist provided patient consultation as to the use, storage, benefits and expected side effects of prescribed medications. Pharmacy visits accounted for nearly one-third of the clinic visits in 1975. Diagnosis and treatment of 10 common acute illnesses made up more than 40% of the pharmacy visits; another 40% of these visits were for pharmacist monitoring of chronic conditions.