Pharmacy practice is rapidly changing now. Prescriptions come from the physicians hand-held "telephone" (read IPod or equivalent to the pharmacy via internet. Pharmacy records automatically pull up the health insurance on file, as well as the patients other medications, and cross-checks for interactions and allergies.
Pharmacists have the same access back to the physicians on questions on the prescriptions. Pharmacies in many wide geographic area automatically have schedule 1 drugs issued, so that other pharmacies and physicians can check to see if a patient is Doctor Shopping for pain killers.
While many areas do not have all of this, it is rapidly growing, and I envision most of the US under these systems within a very few years.
The other practice growing widely is the 24 hour pharmacy, and mail order.
Lastly, there is a growing practice of many pharmacies having a "clinic" open on weekends for urgent care...a physician, nurse practitioner, or a physician's assistant ...for someone to examine routine illnesses (flu, earaches, sore throats) at the pharmacy and issue needed prescriptions. This greatly allows weekend sick kids to get medical attention without an agonizing and expensive trip to the emergency room.
You figure out the impacts.
In what timeframe do you see things changing in pharmacy practice and how will those changes impact society. this is part of my final project due Sunday, promptness is greatly appreciated.
2 answers
to bobpursley; Thank you so much.