Collaborative Drug Therapy Management by Pharmacists

The traditional system of providing drug therapy to patients, in which only certain health care professionals are authorized to initiate drug therapy, is under attack at many levels. The processes of drug prescribing, dispensing, administration, monitoring,’ and dosage adjustment, as practiced in this traditional system, occur in a disjointed fashion. that frequently results in avoidable drug-related problems that contribute significantly to poor patient outcomes and increased medical costs.’ Collaborative drug therapy management, characterized by an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, is emerging as a solution that can maximize the patient’s health-related quality of life, reduce the frequency of avoidable drugrelated problems, and improve societal benefits from pharmaceuticals. In this approach to care, drug therapy decision making and management are coordinated collaboratively by pharmacists, physicians, other health care professionals, and the patient. Many pharmacists with sufficient clinical training have or are willing to assume this level of responsibility for the patients they serve.