Manitoba Pharmacists

04 YOUR HEALTH YOUR PHARMACIST When it comes to taking medica- tions, it's easy to make mistakes. That's why it's important to turn to pharmacists, who can provide infor- mation about every prescription you get. For pharmacist Britt Kural, it's essential to help patients achieve their best state of health through medication or other recommendations. "Pharmacists are medication experts. That has always been our No. 1 focus. What makes us even more well-suited to be in a position to help people is that we've always been highly trusted and we're very accessible," she says. "In some cases, you can pop by your pharmacy 24 hours a day and have access to a pharmacist who's part of that pri- mary health-care team without needing an appointment. A lot of problems can be solved right then and there." For pharmacists with additional prescrib- ing authority, they can also help patients avoid a trip to the doctor's office for cer- tain minor ailments. "We've always been one of the first health-care practitioners for people to ask a question about a concern," Kural says. "This may be something that we can pre- scribe for now too." However, research indicates that 50 per cent of people with chronic health prob- lems don't take their medications cor- rectly, Kural notes. This situation costs the health-care system millions of dollars each year. "A lot of those things translate to higher events of presenting to the hospital or emergency rooms because they're having an adverse drug reaction where they're having side effects that weren't intended," she says. "They may have taken too much or they haven't taken enough or they've stopped their medication altogether and that's caused a problem." To help minimize these predicaments, many pharmacies offer reviews of medica- tions. However, this service is not funded in Manitoba, so patients need to pay out of pocket. Pharmacist Bobby Currie explains that comprehensive medication reviews give patients a dedicated time to discuss their overall health with a pharmacist. "You'll go through each medication and make sure it makes sense as part of the big picture. You'll get to ask all your questions and walk away with a better understand- ing of your medications, the goals of your treatment and other actions you can take to improve your health," Currie says. "The pharmacist will also write out their recommendations and share them with your physician or other members of the health-care team to make sure every- one is on the same page." These comprehensive medication reviews aim to solve current medication problems while preventing further issues in the future. "When you fully understand your medi- cations and what their purpose is, you'll have more control over your health care and more reason to take your medications as directed," Currie says. Many Manitobans took advantage of this service for free through a recent Day of Action event hosted by the Manitoba Society of Pharmacists. "The MSP Day of Action was a very ex- citing day. There was so much enthusiasm for medication reviews from pharmacists and their patients. We had over 30 phar- macists volunteer and over 80 medication reviews performed that day," Currie says. "Pharmacies across the province were in- volved. This was a great chance for phar- macists to showcase medication reviews and offer them at no cost to people that would really benefit from them." To ensure that medications are used appropriately, Currie recommends that patients ask what each medication does and how it is supposed to be taken. In addition, they should learn about side ef- fects and what could happen if they miss a dose. "It's always best to have your questions answered and be comfortable with your medications," she says. "That's what makes a comprehensive medication review so important." As medication experts, pharmacists are able to provide this pertinent information. "In university, pharmacists are trained to understand the complex interactions be- tween medications and our bodies. We also learn how to take information that exists about medications and distil it down to be more meaningful to our patients and other health-care team members," Currie says. "After graduation, we continue to edu- cate ourselves every year to keep our knowledge current and relevant to our practice. We use that knowledge to be a part of a patient's health-care team." ■ W Medication reviews prevent problems By JenniFer mcFee When it comes to taking medications, it's easy to make mistakes. That's why it's important to turn to pharmacists, who can provide information about every prescription you get. Pharmacists who have completed a training program can prescribe medications for several conditions Condition PresCriPtion drug Category Atopic Dermatitis Allergic and irritant contact dermatitis Urticaria Acne vulgaris Tinea pedis Candidal stomatitis Hemorrhoids without complication Vasomotor and allergic rhinitis Seborrhoeic dermatitis (excluding pediatric) Recurrent oral aphthae Vomiting during pregnancy Smoking cessation Corticosteroids (weak or moderately potent) Benzoyl peroxide Clindamycin Antifungals for topical use Nystatin Corticosteriods Corticosteroids Ipratropium bromide Antifungals for topical use Corticosteroids for local oral treatment Doxylamine Combinations Oral smoking cessation medications As part of a health-care team, pharmacists like Britt kural are able to review medications and answer questions, and in some cases, prescribe medications. Photo by Darcy Finley

• Cover