Results of an Interview with a Pharmacist Health care practitioners are frequently required to engage in interprofessional collaboration in order to provide optimal patient care (Poling, Wilson & Finke, 2016). Because the vast majority of inpatients will receive some type of pharmaceutical as part of their health care regimen, collaboration between tertiary care pharmacists and nurses as well as other health care providers is an ongoing need (Angel & Friedman, 2016; NLN releases a vision for interprofessional collaboration, 2016). This paper presents the results of a face-to-face interview with a pharmacist employed in a major medical center operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including a description of the process of filing a prescription, some of the more common reasons that pharmacists call providers to clarify orders, the information contained on a proper prescription, and some of the more common omissions that pharmacists experience when they receive prescriptions. Finally, a description of common medication errors pharmacists encounter and a discussion concerning the prior authorization (par) process and common par medications are followed by a summary of the research and a reflection concerning how this information will help prescription writing in the conclusion.

The process of filling a prescription

A prescription is transmitted to the pharmacy...

Upon receipt, the information on the prescription is entered into the pharmacy’s database and checked for contraindications with other prescribed medications and known patient allergies, the drug is dispensed or formulated from the pharmacy’s stores, transferred to an appropriate container and labeled. Finally, the patient’s identification is verified and the drug is dispensed.
Common reasons pharmacists call providers to clarify orders

Despite the increased use of electronic medical record systems that allow the filing of prescriptions digitally, pharmacists still receive large number of hand-written prescriptions. In the case of the former, pharmacists typically call providers in order to clarify orders only in those instances where the prescribed pharmaceutical is contraindicated for the patient for various reasons, including other prescribed medications or allergies. In the case of the latter, harried physicians and advanced practice nurses may omit some important piece of information (see frequent omissions below) or their writing is illegible to the point where the pharmacist must clarify the prescription.

What is on a proper prescription?

In general, prescriptions should include the name, address and telephone number of the issuing provider, the provider’s Drug Enforcement…