Jeannette Y. Wick

U.S. Public Health Service commissioned corps pharmacists: making a difference in advancing the nation's health

OBJECTIVEnTo describe how U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) pharmacists serving in jobs that are normal for them, but considerably different than those found in the private sector, are making a difference in advancing the nations health.nnnSUMMARYnPharmacists who serve in the Commissioned Corps of PHS fill roles that are considerably different than their counterparts in the private sector. Their work takes them out from behind the counter and into the world. Pharmacy officers advance the health and safety of the nation by their involvement in the delivery of direct patient care to medically underserved people, national security, drug vigilance, research, and policy-making endeavors. PHS pharmacists fill essential public health leadership and service roles throughout the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and certain non-HHS federal agencies and programs. The Health Resources and Services Administration, National Institutes of Health, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Indian Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard are among the many federal agencies in which pharmacy officers are assigned.nnnCONCLUSIONnIn each setting, PHS pharmacists find traditional roles augmented with assignments and challenges that broaden the scope of their practice.

Low back pain: eliminating myths and elucidating realities.

Most people have experienced the aches and inconvenience of low back pain. Although the causes can be hard to pin down, treatment can be very simple.

Writing for Publication

child? You bet they do. brims with professional journals, they know well, or something that In this vein, let me quote from newsletters, and various trade pubwill benefit ones employer or paanother article in the Wall Street lications. You probably read some tient populaticn.! Suppose you journal. Yet Mr. Bode, who has thoroughly, skim others, and dispractice in geriatric pharmacy, spent the past 8 years working with card the rest after just a glance. specifically long-term senior care. refugees in Somalia, Rwanda, and Occasionally, you might seean arYoud like to pursue publication in elsewhere, has this observation: ticle that describes something 3 areas: use of antipsychotic agents Has anyone been harmed by exyouve done for years and think to in the elderly, falls, and medication pired drugs? Maybe. But I can defiyourself, You know, I could have errors. Searching the literature benitely tell you that a lot of people written that if I only knew fore you start writing may prevent died because they didnt get exwhere to start! potential rejection. You may find

Using Pharmacy Technicians to Enhance Clinical and Operational Capabilities

Most physicians commonly preray of tasks are licensed pharmaganizations clinical and operacists. Some of them will be clerks, tional backbone, providing strucscribe dosagesthat are based on and some will be technicians; ture, support, and continuity. patient-specific characteristics some may not even have a formal Some pharmacists may bristle at such as the patients absorption, title. Regardless, they provide valuthe thought, but they should condistribution, metabolism, and exable services under the supervision sider the typical physicians praccretion (ADME) profile and the of a licensed pharmacist. Tasks that tice. We never see physicians prominimum effective concentration do not require the judgment of a licessing paperwork, answering for that patient. However, the dose censed professional can be delemultiple phones, agonizing over prescribed is not always com mergated to technicians, freeing the rejected insurance claims, or cially available. A compounding pharmacist for professional duties. stocking their examination rooms. pharmacist can be particularly Pharmacy technicians are more Physicians hire office managers, helpful in such situations. The numerous than ever before, and it clerks, and nursing staff to assist compounding of a suspension, soseems likely that the number of with those duties. Many also emlution, cream, or (possibly) a captechnicians and the scope of their ploy physician extenders (i.e., Iisule could provide a more accuresponsibilities will continue to excensed nurse practitioners or rate dose than could the adminispand in the years ahead. Several physician assistants) to handle routration of a tablet that has been factors are driving these trends. split. The compounding pharmaFirst, the federal mandate to countine problems or examinations, saving their own time for only the cist can work with the patients sel patients is forcing pharmacists most complex cases. In the pharphysician to formulate a precise to place priority on clinical activimacy, technicians can assume simdose for administration in a more ties, especially those that place ilar roles. suitable dosage form when tablet them in direct proximity to the pa-