Barriers to pharmaceutical care in Iran

Pharmaceutical care is a professional movement that started in the eighties as a result of a profound change, due to an economical crisis, in the sanitary system of the United States (1). One of the first definitions of pharmaceutical care came from Strand and Hepler: “The responsible provision of medicine therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient’s quality of life” (2). The aim is to achieve rational and evidence-based pharmacotherapy, which is beneficial for each patient and for the society.Over the years, traditional role of pharmacist has been changed from preparing and dispensing of drugs to much more patient- centered approach. Pharmaceutical care involves the process through which a pharmacist cooperates with a patient and other professionals in designing, implementing, and monitoring a therapeutic plan that will produce specific therapeutic outcomes for the patient. This in turn involves three major functions: (1) identifying potential and actual drug-related problems, (2) resolving actual drug-related problems, and (3) preventing potential drug-related problems.