Pharmaceutical care issues of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Abstract

Along the years, pharmacy as a profession has come a long way. It has grown from the traditional role of the pharmacist-compounder, preparing and dispensing extemporaneous preparations within community pharmacies, to the role of the pharmacist dispensing ready-made medicines within community pharmacies [1-6]. This move from product focus to patient focus brought to the forefront the pharmacist intervention as an advisor and coordinator of care. The profession has expanded also within the pharmaceutical industry where pharmacists contribute at various levels within the pharmaceutical industry ranging from research and development for innovative drugs, quality control to pharmacovigilance and pharmaceutical regulatory affairs personnel. The pharmacy profession has made major strides within the hospital setting with clinical pharmacists participating as the fulcrum of a multidisciplinary team and contributing to the decision-making for patient care. In this evolution of the pharmacy profession, the patient’s well-being is the focus of pharmacist’s activities in whichever setting they are practising, and this is what makes a pharmacist a unique player in the different settings.