Originally Posted by DOCTAfoHIRE

As a pharmacy student we actually do take a physical assessment class where you are taught the basics of a physical examination. Also any disease state that we study is prefaced with the pathophysiology and symptoms/lab abnormalities associated with said disease state. However I do not feel like pharmacy school in any way prepares you to make any sort of diagnosis (beyond things that can be treated with OTC, such as productive vs. nonproductive cough, uncomplicated diarrhea, or fever.) Pharmacy is slowly shifting into more and more direct patient contact. Its funny because one of our professors who has been teaching for 40 or so years told us that when he was in pharmacy school it was prohibited to discuss the drugs with the patient, and they were taught specific techniques to avoid specific drug related questions if they were ever brought up in conversation with a customer. So needless to say things are changing.

BUT, pharmacists dont go to school to diagnose. I dont think there are any pharmacists who will argue that. However pharmacists are very under-utilized in the area of pharmacotherapy. There is no reason why pharmacists who are part of a hospital medical team shouldnt be allowed to alter or initiate medical therapy in the same way that PAs and NPs can initiate therapy. As long as the MD signs off on it I dont see any problem in it. In fact if there is one thing pharmacy students are really good at, its being able to select the proper medical therapy if there is a given diagnosis. Medical students (as well as PA and NP students) are taught waaay too many things to be able to remember and recognize the different uses for the 10+ types of beta blockers. Sure everyone may know metoprolol, but will your first or second year resident know the different indications for atenolol and propranolol? Maybe, maybe not. Im not arguing that a pharmacist will know more than lets say a cardiologist about cardio drugs. But I am willing to bet a pharmacist one year out of school will know a whole lot more about appropriate pharmacotherapy than a first year resident or PA/NP student. But somehow PAs/NPs have prescriptive authority and pharmacists dont. A lot of people in my profession are unhappy about that, and watch for changes in this arena as collaborative practice gets pushed through into law. Pharmacists shouldnt diagnose, but we sure as hell should get at least some piece of the prescribing pie.