Are pharmacists taking over?

[doctorcynical]

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Does anyone think that pharmacists will one day replace the general practitioner? There autonomy and responsiblity are increasing. Some can even dx.

 

[NDESTRUKT]

no...they don't take a lot of classes we do. they dont even dissect a body for goodness sake. and they can't even read an xray or CT scan. there are a lot of things doctors do that don't involve drugs.

 

[Kalel]

Yeah, pharmacy training is *very* different then medical school training. Usually, patients don't come into doctor's offices saying that they have disease X, Y, and Z and they need prescriptions for it. They come in saying I've been peeing more or I've been sleeping more and it's the doctor's job to figure out what's going on and how to best treat it.

 

[91Bravo]

Seriously...you're killing me.

 

[Samoa]

I doubt they'll ever take over the role of the GP or FP doc, but many are quite capable of serving as a mid-level practitioner (AKA physician-extender).

Pharmacists take about the same proportion of classes in common with physicians as NPs and PAs do. Some pharmacy schools do make their students take gross anatomy, and reading x-rays and CT scans, MRIs etc. with the sophistication expected of a non-radiologist physician is not difficult. People really need to get off their high horse about pharmacists' supposed lack of competence in diagnosis and treatment.

Although I'll be the first to admit that competence in this area is still the exception rather than the rule, and the quality of pharmacist education is totally inconsistent from school to school and state to state. But the fact is, SOME pharmacy schools are producing graduates who could function as well as any NP or PA in the treatment of patients.

 

[DrWorkNeverDone]

Originally posted by NDESTRUKT
no...they don't take a lot of classes we do. they dont even dissect a body for goodness sake. and they can't even read an xray or CT scan. there are a lot of things doctors do that don't involve drugs.

actually at UCSF they are required to dissect now.

 

[oldtimer]

Originally posted by doctorcynical
Does anyone think that pharmacists will one day replace the general practitioner? There autonomy and responsiblity are increasing. Some can even dx.

You win the ultimate prize of being both an idiot and annoying. That's quite an accomplishment.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Originally posted by DrWorkNeverDone
actually at UCSF they are required to dissect now.

And some pharmacists at SF General Hospital and some VA hospitals see patients and write scripts, especially for chronic problems like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure.