title: A comparison of pharmacists' role functions across various nations: The importance of screening.
abstract: In recent years, several developed countries reported on new multidisciplinary roles of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, especially considering the former's expanding functions. This paper examines differences in pharmacists' and pharmacy assistants' professional roles and the dispensing system in Japan with those in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and the Philippines. A review of relevant literature was supplemented by interviews of dispensary staff at hospitals and community pharmacies in Malaysia and the Philippines. The UK, Philippines, and Malaysia had dispensing assistants who performed dispensing roles, while Japan did not. Although pharmacy assistants occasionally performed screening and dispensing inspections due to the lack of pharmacists, it is necessary for pharmacists participating in risk management to ensure formula optimization and monitoring. Pharmacists' contribution to medical care involves ensuring safety in drug therapy and overall medical services. Screening is the most fundamental and important function performed exclusively by pharmacists, thereby establishing their status within the medical system.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 3500295, Japan. Electronic address: yinoue@josai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 3500295, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takikawa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 3500295, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 3500295, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takao
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 3500295, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kanamoto
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 3500295, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugibayashi
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008296:Malaysia; D010595:Pharmacists; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D010679:Philippines; D024382:Professional Role; D006113:United Kingdom; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Competencies; Dispensing system; Pharmacist's functions; Pharmacist's role; Pharmacy assistant; Screening