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Extended clinical roles for the pharmacist in psychiatric care

1973; Oxford University Press; Volume: 30; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/ajhp/30.12.1143

1535-2900

James H. Coleman, R. Lee Evans, Sidney A. Rosenbluth,

Schizophrenia research and treatment

An interdisciplinary program which involves specially trained pharmacists in the care of ambulant psychiatric patients is described. The pharmacist assesses stability of previously stabilized patients and may either refer a patient to the psychiatrist or work with the patient personally. If judged stable, the patient may be continued on the previous drug regimen. However, if the patient is mildly unstable or experiencing drug side effects, the pharmacist may alter dosage(s) or schedule(s), discontinue drug(s) and/or add drug(s). The pharmacist occasionally administers intramuscular injections of a long-acting phenothiazine and performs venipunctures to collect blood for lithium determinations. These activities make use of the pharmacist's special knowledge of drugs but also depend on additional training, including didactic material and field experiences. Training of this type is offered under supervision of pharmacists, psychiatrists and psychologists in an elective eleven-week rotation for doctor of pharmacy candidates. The program shows great promise for improving access to care and reducing costs, and it makes better use of available mental health manpower.