Clinical Skills for Pharmacists

Book excerpt: Providing the skills necessary for pharmaceutical care in a patient-centered pharmacy setting, this practical text covers skills including communication, physical assessment, history taking, patient case presentation, understanding of lab and diagnostic tests, therapeutic planning and monitoring, obtaining drug information, and pharmacy ethics. Case examples throughout the text show how skills are applied in clinical situations, and every chapter concludes with self-assessment questions. Chapters are also sequenced in a skill-building approach, so the development of each skill depends on the integration and application of previous skills. Chapters are organized in a practical, skill-building approach. Case examples provide an understanding of how the material may be applied. Self-assessment questions are included for each chapter. Learning objectives help readers focus on important concepts. Quick reference guides help readers locate key pieces of information. Complete coverage of patient-centered clinical pharmacy skills helps readers understand and clearly define the skills needed in the pharmacy setting. New visuals/figures give the book a fresh new look. The text has been updated to reflect current pharmacy practice, health care, and technology. Updated information reflects current drug examples throughout book. Content is included on the changes in education and certification requirements, updated board certification information, and information on certificate programs. Discussions of the professional codes of ethics have been updated to reflect the new ANA code, 2001 AMA Principles of Medical Ethics, the new pharmaceutical manufacturer's guidelines, and updated informed consent. Coverage of the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) has been added to the physical assessment chapter. An expanded discussion of electronic drug information resources and a new section on how to critique electronic drug information resources have been added.