With each new drug, there is a clinical learning curve. Especially in geriatric patients, optimal therapeutic outcomes depend on proper storage, dosing, and patient selection, coupled with appropriate administration and assiduous monitoring. By conducting in-service presentations for prescribers and nursing staff, consultant pharmacists can help establish a solid foundation for safe, effective use of new medications. Each year, pharmaceutical manufacturers dedicate billions of dollars to research and development activities. Each year these efforts yield more new products that hold the promise of banishing or halting the advance of illness in millions of people.
Consultant pharmacists have an important role in helping to ensure the promise becomes a reality.