What do you need to know as a clinical pharmacist in practice in inpatient wards.

Clinical pharmacists work in collaboration with other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive medication management and to tailor medications to meet patient’s needs optimally using his/her clinical skills and pharmaceutical knowledge.

And the question here is....

What do clinical pharmacists need to know about the patients, and about their medications?

? As a clinical pharmacist, you need to know the following:

- Main complaint of the patient.

- Signs and symptoms.

- Previous diagnosis or another short statement that describes the patient's causes of admission.

- Patient’s age, weight, height.

- Vital signs, hemodynamics.

- Laboratory data, previous cultures, imaging results.

- Medication history.

- Patient’s current medications.

- Adherence.

- Allergies.

? In each time you see a drug sheet, check the following:

- Medication reconciliation.

- Antibiotic reviewing.

- Indication of medications.

- Dose, frequency, infusion rate, administration, IV compatibility.

- Electrolytes, hematology, and other lab results.

- No drug interactions, allergies, duplication, adverse events.

- Stop dates.

Remember to first ask, search about good evidence, read carefully, then recommend to physician whatever you need to.

? Suggested topics for you to read:

- Medication errors.

- Lab interpretations and ABG.

- Fluids and electrolytes

- Drug drug and drug disease interactions

- Pain management

- Stress ulcers

- Anticoagulants

- Nutrition

- Antimicrobials

- Communication skills, documentation skills (you can read about How to professionally document clinical interventions in your clinical pharmacy department through this link: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-professionally-document-clinical-interventions-your-mohamed-fahmy/

? Suggested books for you to read:

- Antibiotics Simplified

- antibiotics Essentials

- Pharmacotherapy principles and principles

- Rx Prep

- Pharmacotherapy a pathophysiologic approach

? Suggested websites and mobile applications for you to use:

- Lexicomp

- Genebrandex

- IBM

I hope you find these tips useful, If you have more, You're more than welcome to write them in comments, Also questions are more than welcome, Just write yours in a comment.

at the end, I'd like to say to every Senior or junior pharmacist, to every fresh graduate pharmacist, and to every pharmacy student...

Always Remember To Be The Good Pharmacist You Wish You See.