There is probably no other pharmacy practice environment that is more aligned with and offers more potential opportunities to practice pharmaceutical care than community pharmacy. Most other practice environments can only hope to come close to having the effect on a patient's health as that offered by the caring pharmacist who knows the faces, names, and medical profile of those that he or she serves on a daily basis. Many, if not most, institutional pharmacy practices focus on treatment of an acute medical problem. You get sick, you go to the hospital or clinic, you get diagnosed, treated, and you go home. Being a part of this process is an important part of a person's health care, however, today's primary focus in healthcare is quality of life and wellness.
Wellness is a dynamic and ongoing process.
Community pharmacy practitioners have the opportunity to really make a difference in the health of their patients. In a community practice you are accessible and respected by most everyone. Yes, even those that may not act like they appreciate it really do value the services and advice offered by their personal pharmacist. Still in today's community practice environment, the medication order dispensing process seems to take up most of a pharmacist's day, but things are changing rapidly. Even in the medication dispensing process errors and problems are found.