Drug Safety by the FDA in Pharmacy
Drug Safety by the FDA in Pharmacy
Food and Drug Administration approve all the drugs before they distribution to the US market. Some of the drugs the FDA approves include: branded drugs, generic drugs and over the counter drugs. Before approval, the drugs are first tested in the laboratory with animals as the test subjects. Release of drugs into the market only occurs after tests confirm it is effective. Drug approval only occurs if the benefits outweigh the risks. FDA also lists down the drugs that can be sold over the counter (Abood, 2010).
A pharmacist must be familiar with the list of these drugs and the diseases/conditions that they control. The importance of drugs safety in pharmacy cannot go unmentioned. In an inpatient setting like a hospital, it is the duty of the hospital pharmacists to administer drugs to the rests of the staff e.g. nurses who them administer them to patients. In an outpatient setting, e.g. a clinic, it is the responsibility of pharmacists to distribute the drugs.
Information on drug safety guarantees that pharmacists are aware of the side effects and efficacy of each drug in relation to an illness. Information on drug safety thus ensures that the pharmacy is knowledgeable on the reliability of a drug. With this information, the pharmacist is equipped to enlighten a patient on whether to use the drug or not. The pharmacist is familiar on which drugs he can give without prescriptions and which requires a prescription from qualified medical personnel. With this information, the pharmacist has the capacity to advice patients on the rights channels to use to determine whether he should take the drug or not (Abood, 2010).
Information on drug safety will guarantees that the pharmacist takes the role of an educator hence improves patient health outcomes. Drug safety by the FDA helps the pharmacy profession to be respected as the professionals are well informed on the drugs they dispense. Drug safety promotes the growth of the pharmacy profession. The increasing manufacture of drugs requires more pharmacists who will ensure that medications are effective for use. Pharmacist shall thus continue to be integral individuals in the health care system.
Reference
Abood, R. (2010). Pharmacy practice and the law. Jones & Bartlett Publishers
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