The Definition of Clinical Pharmacy

American College of Clinical Pharmacy Key Words: American College of Clinical Pharmacy, ACCP, clinical pharmacy, definition, clinical pharmacist. (Pharmacotherapy 2008;28(6):816–817)

As articulated in its strategic plan, the American health care settings. They possess in-depth College of Clinical Pharmacy’s (ACCP) 10–15- knowledge of medications that is integrated with year vision for the profession is that pharmacists a foundational understanding of the biomedical, will be health care providers who are accountable pharmaceutical, sociobehavioral, and clinical for optimal medication therapy in the prevention sciences. To achieve desired therapeutic goals, and treatment of disease. To achieve this vision, the clinical pharmacist applies evidence-based the profession must ensure that there will be an therapeutic guidelines, evolving sciences, emerging adequate supply of appropriately educated and technologies, and relevant legal, ethical, social, skilled clinical pharmacists. Toward that end, the cultural, economic, and professional principles. ACCP Board of Regents has developed a In accordance, clinical pharmacists assume definition of clinical pharmacy to serve as the responsibility and accountability for managing foundation for the core competencies of a clinical medication therapy in direct patient care settings, pharmacist. Both short (abridged) and detailed whether practicing independently or in consul- (unabridged) definitions are provided below. tation or collaboration with other health care professionals. Clinical pharmacist researchers Abridged Definition of Clinical Pharmacy generate, disseminate, and apply new knowledge that contributes to improved health and quality Clinical pharmacy is defined as that area of of life. pharmacy concerned with the science and Within the system of health care, clinical pharma- practice of rational medication use. cists are experts in the therapeutic use of medica- tions. They routinely provide medication therapy Unabridged Definition of Clinical Pharmacy evaluations and recommendations to patients and Clinical pharmacy is a health science discipline health care professionals. Clinical pharmacists in which pharmacists provide patient care that are a primary source of scientifically valid infor- optimizes medication therapy and promotes mation and advice regarding the safe, appro- health, wellness, and disease prevention. The priate, and cost-effective use of medications. practice of clinical pharmacy embraces the philosophy of pharmaceutical care; it blends a Three-Part Definition caring orientation with specialized therapeutic The unabridged definition is organized into knowledge, experience, and judgment for the three sections: the discipline of clinical purpose of ensuring optimal patient outcomes. pharmacy, the clinical pharmacist, and the roles As a discipline, clinical pharmacy also has an of the clinical pharmacist in the health care obligation to contribute to the generation of new system. Key words or phrases were carefully knowledge that advances health and quality of chosen for inclusion in each section, and their life. intended interpretation follows. Clinical pharmacists care for patients in all This definition was written and approved by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Board of Regents on The Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy April 8, 2005. The concept of optimizing therapy and promoting Address reprint requests to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 13000 West 87th Street Parkway, Suite health, wellness, and disease prevention was felt 100, Lenexa, KS 66215-4530; e-mail: [email protected], or to be essential in highlighting the focus on both download from http://www.accp.com. pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies DEFINITION OF CLINICAL PHARMACY ACCP 817 for promoting patient health. By noting that pharmacists practice both independently and in clinical pharmacy embraces the philosophy of consultation or collaboration with other health pharmaceutical care, the definition calls attention care professionals, making it clear that they are to the fact that the primary object of practice and members of an autonomous profession within research is ultimately the patient. Emphasizing their scope of practice yet also function as that the discipline relies on caring values with members of a cooperative health care team. specialized knowledge, experience, and judgment Finally, attention is drawn to the scientific impact underscores the critical importance of the synergy of clinical pharmacist researchers by stating that achieved by combining a caring ethos, in-depth they generate, disseminate, and apply new therapeutic knowledge, clinical experience, and knowledge that contributes to improved health expert judgment. As a discipline, clinical and quality of life. pharmacy must be engaged also in research to contribute to the generation of new knowledge Roles Within the Health Care System that advances human health and quality of life. By noting that the clinical pharmacist is an The Clinical Pharmacist expert in the therapeutic use of medications, this section indicates that the clinical pharmacist is Stating explicitly that the clinical pharmacist recognized as providing a unique set of knowl- cares for patients in all health care settings edge and skills to the health care system and is emphasizes two points: that clinical pharmacists therefore qualified to assume the role of drug provide care to their patients (i.e., they don’t just therapy expert. In addition, this expertise is used provide clinical services), and that this practice proactively to ensure and advance rational drug can occur in any practice setting. The clinical therapy, thereby averting many of the medication pharmacist’s application of evidence and evolving therapy misadventures that ensue following sciences points out that clinical pharmacy is a inappropriate therapeutic decisions made at the scientifically rooted discipline; the application of point of prescribing. Stating that the clinical legal, ethical, social, cultural, and economic pharmacist is a primary source of scientifically principles serves to remind us that clinical valid information and advice on the best use of pharmacy practice also takes into account medications emphasizes that the clinical societal factors that extend beyond science. By pharmacist serves as an objective, evidence-based stating that clinical pharmacists assume source of therapeutic information and recommen- responsibility and accountability for achieving dations. This expertise extends beyond traditional therapeutic goals, the definition makes it clear medications to include nontraditional therapies that they are called upon to be more than as well. Finally, indicating that clinical pharma- consultants. Further, the mention of managing therapy in direct patient care settings is cists routinely provide therapeutic evaluations particularly important because it reinforces and recommendations underscores the fact that existing definitions of the term “clinical.” For their daily practice involves regular consultation example, the American Heritage College Dictionary with patients and health care professionals defines clinical as “involving or based on direct regarding medication therapy evaluations and observation of the patient”1; Dorland’s Medical recommendations. Dictionary defines clinical medicine as “the study of disease by direct examination of the living References patient.”2 That is, clinical pharmacists are involved 1. Anonymous. American heritage dictionary of the English language, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. in direct interaction with, and observation of, the 2. Anonymous. Dorland’s illustrated medical dictionary, 31st ed. patient. In addition, it is noted that clinical Philadelphia: Saunders, 2007.