Home care Pharmacy in Low-Middle Income Countries

Abstract

Home care pharmacy (HCP) service provides pharmacy service to a patient living in his/her own home or residential area. Generally, older people, patients with chronic illnesses, those using multiple medications, or those requiring long-term medicinal care need HCP services. The objective of HCP is to improve patient’s illness and overall quality of life with appropriate utilization of medications and prevention of medicine-related complications. Pharmacists are the key health care personnel of HCP services. They provide pharmacy services to the patients either in coordination with physicians or independently in consultation with other healthcare professionals. While undertaking the HCP services, they review patients’ medications, document their profile, facilitate uninterrupted availability and administration of patients’ medications, and counsel the patients or their caretakers on medicine-related services. Many studies reported that pharmacists contribute significantly to achieve better economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes. However, the HCP services are not available everywhere as intended and vary in services even where the facilities are available. Therefore, there is a need to explore the importance of HCP services and sequentially develop the associated rules, regulations, and policies in developing countries where these are rarely practiced.