Bridging the gap for clinical pharmacist in developing countries like Pakistan

ABSTRACT

Clinical pharmacists should be increasingly important members of the healthcare team in developing countries such as Pakistan. Survey of literature was conducted to identify the determinants of clinical pharmacy in Pakistan. Lack of trained human capital, shortage of resources, patient overburden, inefficient pharmacy education curriculum, and limited job opportunities are some of the determinants of clinical pharmacy profession in developing countries. The underutilization of clinical pharmacists paves the way for an increased incidence of medication errors, adverse drug events, irrational prescribing, and suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. Integration mapping is an important framework for providing guidelines in protocol planning for improvement in a profession. A step by step change is required to promote the growth of clinical pharmacy profession in Pakistan