Consultant pharmacist
A consultant pharmacist is a specialized pharmacist who focuses on reviewing and managing the medication regimens of patients, particularly those in institutional settings such as nursing homes.
Consultant pharmacists are medication therapy experts who take responsibility for their patients’ medication-related needs; ensure that their patients’ medications are the most appropriate, the most effective, the safest possible, and are used correctly; and identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems that may interfere with the goals of therapy. Consultant pharmacists manage and improve drug therapy and improve the quality of life of the senior population and other individuals residing in a variety of environments, including hospitals, nursing facilities, subacute care and assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, hospice care, and home- and community-based care.
The primary association representing consultant pharmacists is the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, however several other pharmacy associations also represent consultant pharmacists in various respects.
Unlike retail pharmacists and hospital pharmacists, most consultant pharmacists generally own their own practice or work for one of a handful of specialized pharmacy companies, the largest of which is Omnicare. Many consultant pharmacists do not even dispense drugs. In many ways they are more like doctors than the traditional concept of a retail pharmacist.
Recently, consultant pharmacists have started to expand into the realm of "Senior Care Pharmacy," a term used to refer to the practice of consultant pharmacy for seniors in non-institutional settings. As the American Post-WW2 Baby Boom approaches retirement, this practice is becoming much more important. Seniors, while not requiring nursing home care, still have complex medication regimens, often prescribed by numerous non-coordinating doctors. A senior care pharmacist works with these patents to resole conflicts in their medication regimen and to review its effectiveness in addressing their medical conditions.