On the fringes.

Abstract

The expanded training pharmacists now receive in human pharmacotherapy has led to their increased participation in direct patient care. These activities may be global or specific, and can include drug therapy consultation, pharmacokinetic-based dosing recommendations, drug-use review, participation in nutritional support, and clinical pharmacology research. Such a listing of relatively sophisticated roles makes today's pharmacy practitioners almost unidentifiable with their counterparts of 20 years ago. This rapid transition makes pharmacy somewhat different in the health professions, since in comparison, medicine and nursing have been more stable. Despite these hard-fought advancements, there is a disturbing discrepancy between standards of care in pharmacy and the legal definition of pharmacy practice. Continued and future advancements are tenuous secondary to fear generated from noncompliance with state regulations. The entire profession should strive to develop updated pharmacy acts to prevent individuals from practicing "on the fringes."