Assignment Task: Best Conclusion for the statement below:
As the delivery of healthcare evolves to become more interconnected, coordinating care between nurses, pharmacists, physicians, social workers and other disciplines has become increasingly important. In its simplest form, interprofessional collaboration is the practice of approaching patient care from a team-based perspective. According to (Green & Johnson, 2015), by implementing interprofessional collaboration and learning to work together and respecting one another's perspectives in healthcare, multiple disciplines can work more effectively as a team to help improve patient outcomes.
PAs are educated to diagnose and treat diseases, order and interpret diagnostic tests, assist in surgical procedures, and provide preventative care. Their independence and level of supervision are determined by state laws, institutional policies, and their individual knowledge and experience. PAs are required to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree, pass a national certification exam, and obtain a state license to practice. In certain circumstances, PAs and other healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists, may have duties that conflict (Kozikowski et al., 2023).
Pharmacists are responsible for dispensing medications, ensuring their safe and effective use, providing medication counseling, and collaborating with other healthcare professionals. To practice pharmacy, one must complete a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program and pass a licensing exam. Collaboration and interprofessional relationships are necessary for delivering comprehensive and secure patient care (Rothholz, 2011).
Within the context of patient care, the functions of a physician assistant (PA) and a pharmacist are separate but complementary to one another. When it comes to making decisions concerning medication, there is a potential for pharmacists and PAs to have disagreements with one another. For instance, a pharmacist might have second thoughts about filling a prescription order that was written by a PA if they have safety concerns regarding the medication or are concerned about the possibility of adverse drug interactions.
In such situations, effective communication and collaboration between the physician assistant and pharmacist becomes crucial. The physician assistant and pharmacist must engage in an open dialogue to discuss their respective concerns, share their expertise, and reach a resolution that is in the patient's best interest. This may entail modifying the patient's medication regimen, investigating alternative treatment options, or consulting with the supervising physician or other healthcare professionals. The ultimate objective is to ensure that the patient receives the safest and most effective medication therapy.