Recommendations for the role of the pharmacist in Saudi Arabia

Pharmacy profession is an important part of the health‑care system. A well‑organized pharmacy practice goes a long way to ensure quality health care of the patient. In the past, the responsibility of the pharmacist was only to dispense medicines, but nowadays the traditional role of pharmacist has been modified and pharmacists play a role as a vital team member in the direct care of patients. In the hospital and community pharmacy setting, counseling patients is one of the key roles that pharmacists offer. Counseling of patients has a vital role in the outcomes of therapy. It has been seen that the therapeutic outcome and quality of life have significantly improved through counseling sessions for patients suffering from different ailments like diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, and psychotic disorders. Furthermore, the general public also consults the community pharmacist as the first choice to seek medical advice for minor aliments. Similarly, the pharmacist also serves as a vital source of drug information for the physician and patients about polypharmacy, perhaps as the only professional who can help in the reduction of drug‑related problems, drug interactions, and drug‑related effects on blood biochemistry. For example, in a case where there is concurrent administration of enzyme inducers and inhibitors, the pharmacist can play a vital role by providing information about the appropriate dose to attain the maximum possible therapeutic affect of the coadministered medicines.