[Multiple demands for assistance from pharmacists. Analysis and evaluation]

The pharmacist is a member of the health care community readily accessible to the public. Beyond his/her normal attributes, the pharmacist is called upon to offer assistance, sometimes in an emergency setting, or, more generally, in situations requiring compassion and support. We conducted a study of 349 observations of requests for assistance and analyzed this free often discrete but highly important service offered daily by pharmacists. For each experience presented, the intervention was conducted by the pharmacist and required a considerable amount of effort and time. As for all professional activities, the pharmacist engaged his/her own responsibility. Four main categories of interventions were observed. Several "colorful" examples are presented, demonstrating that assistance provided by the pharmacist is an important asset of the profession which is widely appreciated and used by the public.