We've compiled the top challenges facing new and future pharmacists. To ensure their success, pharmacy education programs must provide their students with the tools and resources to overcome each obstacle.
1. Medication and safety adherence
Non-adherence to medications has led to treatment failures, increased healthcare costs, and even hospitalizations. Pharmacists are taking a more active role in promoting medication adherence by conducting patient counseling, providing patients with easy-to-follow medication regimens, and utilizing patient engagement tools like UpToDate® Patient Engagement to boost health outcomes.
Pharmacy programs must integrate medication safety throughout their curriculum, ensuring students understand how to utilize digital tools — from computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems to automatic dispensing systems. Additionally, PharmD students must clearly understand medication reconciliation to reduce errors.
2. Evolving drug therapies
Pharmacists must continuously monitor the rapid development and advancement of new medications, therapeutic interventions, and treatment approaches. From digital therapeutics, such as wearable devices, to nanomedicine’s promise in cancer treatment and regenerative medicine, pharmacists must continue monitoring these evolving therapies and ensure they’re used safely and effectively.
3. Public health issues
Pharmacists play an increasingly important role in promoting population health and advancing public health initiatives since the onset of the pandemic. They play a vital role in preventing opioid misuse, treating mental health conditions, and developing disease prevention, treatment, and control programs while promoting medication safety in their facilities and communities.
Addressing these public health issues requires collaboration between pharmacists, healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies, and the community.
Pharmacy programs must ensure that students have access to up-to-date resources and training materials from trusted government and regulatory bodies as they undertake this trusted role.
4. Drug shortages
The pandemic caused supply chain disruptions, leading to medication shortages. Today’s pharmacists face an inconsistent supply of medications, requiring the proper knowledge and tools to find medication substitutions and alternative therapies.
Now, more than ever, pharmacists need access to a drug referential content solution, like Lexidrug, to help them make the best possible evidence-based decision for each specific patient as they encounter these shortages.
5. Expanded scope of practice
Driven by the ever-changing healthcare landscape and the goal of improving patient outcomes, particularly post-COVID-19, pharmacists are expanding their scope of practice. While pharmacists were once resigned to refilling prescriptions, they are now increasingly relied upon for providing preventative care services for patients, like health screenings, smoking cessation services, and guidance on healthy living choices.
By incorporating real-world scenarios and comprehensive, evidence-based tools, pharmacy programs can ensure the future workforce is prepared to actively improve patient outcomes.
Pharmacy programs need innovative digital teaching and learning solutions to prepare new and future pharmacists for the everyday challenges they will face as they embark on their pharmacy journey.
Wolters Kluwer's solutions provide pharmacy educational programs with digital tools and resources to equip students for success, including four customized pharmacy health libraries, Lexidrug drug referential content solutions, and more. Contact us to learn more today.
