Evolution of Pharm D Education and Patient Service in the USA

The pioneering pharmacy care in the USA is a model for other countries. As in other countries, US pharmacy care has been evolving gradually. The history of American pharmacy can be traced back to 1850, when it mainly emphasized manufacturing medications and compounding prescriptions; pharmacists did not need a pharmacy-related degree to practice. The responsibilities of pharmacists have been changing over time. During the 20th century, pharmacists had a clear social role as the primary care provider. However, pharmacists were restricted to work as drug dispensers after the American Pharmacists Association released the Code of Ethics and the Durham–Humphrey Amendment was passed. Nevertheless, those obstacles never restrained the pharmacy profession from developing. In the 1960s, a revolutionary era, the profession progressed dramatically in the US health care system and pharmacy education. During past two decades, the pharmacy profession has gradually matured. Nowadays, in the interest of providing complete pharmacy care to patients, every pharmacist candidate is required to complete a 6-year education program, including 1 year of clinical practice experience. Pharmaceutical care is administrated in the different pharmacy settings to help patients obtain the best results from their medications.