Pharmacy Medicine and Health

Question: Describe about the Medicine and Health for Pharmacy? Answer: 1. I want to learn more about dementia, that makes up a significant topic for pharmacy. Dementia is a progressive disorder affecting millions of people across the globe. Its interference with the functioning of the brain, especially the ability to think and use of reasoning ability makes it is a significant health problem. In 2014, it as estimated that around 850000 people had dementia in the United Kingdom. Out of these around 773, 502 people were of the age 65 and above. Patients suffering from dementia find it difficult to remember things happening in recent past. They are not able to follow conversations and have difficulty in remembering dates and time. They much much trouble in adjusting to the new environment or even minor changes in their daily activities. In the context of increasing prevalence of dementia among the older population, as a pharmacist, I feel I must have proper knowledge of dementia and the suitable drugs that can be used for treating dementia. Therefore, I ne ed to learn the pharmacological options along with the non-pharmacological options present for treating dementia. I need to learn the detection of dementia in an effective manner. I need to learn how to give moral support to such patients along with providing them with suitable medicines. 2. I feel this learning will be relevant to effective and safe practise of pharmacy. Regardless of the role, I am sure to come in contact with people with dementia, the family members of such patients and the carers. I must, therefore, administer safe and effective practise. By undertaking the learning, I would be able to give support services to the patients. Specific interventions would be provided by me due to the knowledge received from the learning, and that would be delivered according to the policies and guidelines. He learning would provide me a means to apply knowledge for delivering skilled practice. The information received will have a particular focus on the care for dementia and, therefore, will complement other resources that were available to me. The learning would be an awareness-raising and training tool for me in my future practice for practising safe pharmacy. By being able to recognise the suitable medication to be given, a safe environment would be provided to th e patients. I would be able to get directly involved in the pharmaceutical care of dementia patients. The appropriate understanding of the role of medication in treating dementia would help in delivering safe practice. 3. The rationale behind taking up this approach of learning is that it will be useful in my future practise. I think this learning will be useful in my future practise because it will be hep me to take effective care of the patients suffering from dementia. I have the understanding that a pharmacist has a vital in the management of this particular disease. A pharmacist can support the customers diagnosed with dementia in several ways along with those who may be at risk from the development of the disease. People with dementia who take multiple psychotropic drugs are a priority of multidisciplinary review, including pharmacy. This ensures that the continued use is suitable. All people having dementia and getting psychotropic drugs must have their review continued. Where benefits and not clear, gradual withdrawing is appropriate with monitoring of target symptoms. Pharmacy is a core part of multidisciplinary team. Full multidisciplinary team conducts review at least annually. Therefore , it is significant that I as pharmacists have proper knowledge of the treatment of dementia. The involvement of the pharmacists in the treatment of dementia is not limited to the supply of medicines. The clinical input from the pharmacists is of much significant in todays time. I can be employed as a consultant pharmacist to take up regular reviews of the medicines. The task assigned to me can be the reduction and discontinuation of inappropriate or unnecessary medication. 4. I have learnt some important information related to dementia with respect to the medical and non-medical interventions for the disease. The most significant aspect is that dementia is multifactorial. Even though pharmacological interventions are of much help, they are not sufficient to cure dementia completely. Other interventions may be needed to alongside pharmacological interventions to treat dementia in a holistic manner. People diagnosed with dementia have the problem of losing recent memories. Current options available for pharmacological therapy include the glutamine receptor antagonist Memantine and the acetylcholinestarase (AChE) inhibitors galantamine, donepezil and rivastigmine. The drugs act by improving the symptoms of the disease and delaying further decline. The acetylcholinesterase work by increasing the level of neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the patients neuronal synapses of the brain that prevents it breakdown. The glutamate receptor antagonist blocks the imp act of glutamate on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and reduces the calcium-induced cell death. Future treatments can target the development of neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques in the brain for curing dementia. All the licensed medications available for dementia are made available to the patients as generics. However, there is much difficulty in administering drugs to the patients. It is very significant for pharmacists to remember that dementia patients have the tendency to forget things very easily. They find it very difficult to accept the changes brought about in a presentation of medicines, like tablet shape, size and confusion. They may have to go through confusion with identifying the proper medicine. This leads to non-adherence, deteriorating their condition to a great extent. 5. I would give an example of how the learning I have got can be applied to patient care in my future practise. People having dementia have to manage many drugs apart from other conditions. Therefore, the help provided by me as a specialist would be useful to a great extent. In addition of taking medicines of dementia, patients may be needing other drugs. For people having difficulty in remembering the medicines to be taken, managing medicines is a big issue. I would take referrals from different agencies, nurses, patients and social workers. i would help in giving holistic care to the patients. I would help the patients remembering the medicines that need to be taken by them for dementia. I would help the patients when a specific issue would be highlighted. I would hep in getting the issue resolved and take a holistic approach towards the patients needs and circumstances. The issues that would come into my attention would be prescription changes, ill packaging and difficulties with remembering the intake of drugs. Other problems happen when a patients memory loss and confusion means they are having difficulty in taking medicines in a correct manner. If patients are using non-prescription drugs, I can help them out so that they do not interfere with the prescribed medicines. 6. The benefits of such activities in my learning are immense. I would be keeping myself abreast of new developments in pharmacologic therapies and research regarding dementia. I would become a vital resource for the patients and improve the quality of life. A comprehensive understanding of the details of dementia and the different care approaches would be helpful in providing effective patient care. Empathy would be given to the patients, and possible contradictions would be avoided. Caring for a dementia patient would involve more than giving medications to the patients. By undertaking the above activities, my learning would be more enhanced, and I would be able to achieve progress in my field of pharmacy. My style of patient care would be changed, and I would be able to make a difference in the lives of people living with dementia. My role as a pharmacist in giving support to people with dementia will not limit to environemtn of physical pharmacy. I will get evolving opportunities to learn more about the concerned subject and apply them to the patient care practice. The patients I would care for would not suffer any medication misadventure and I would be able to deliver suitable medication management. Complex medication regime would be handled by with in an effective manner as result of my learning.