title: Improving medication use through pharmacists' access to patient-specific health care information.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review and discuss the importance of pharmacists having access to patient-specific health care information in order to provide pharmaceutical care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles identified through searches of MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts using the following key words: information, decision making, and pharmacist.
  
  
  METHODS
  English-language articles were evaluated for inclusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pharmacists have demonstrated their ability to positively affect patient outcomes related to medication use, including reducing patients' risk for medication-related adverse effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacists, with proper access to patient-specific health care information, can reduce patients' risk for medication-related problems and improve the quality of their health care.
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Distribution Management Association Healthcare Foundation, Reston, VA., USA.
authors.forename: Marsha K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Millonig
authors.forename: Terri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Ellis
mesh_terms: D016494:Computer Security; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D010595:Pharmacists