Consultant pharmacist

A consultant pharmacist is a specialized pharmacist who focuses on reviewing and managing the medication regimens of patients, particularly those in institutional settings such as nursing homes.

Consultant pharmacists are medication therapy experts who take responsibility for their patients’ medication-related needs; ensure that their patients’ medications are the most appropriate, the most effective, the safest possible, and are used correctly; and identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems that may interfere with the goals of therapy. Consultant pharmacists manage and improve drug therapy and improve the quality of life of the senior population and other individuals residing in a variety of environments, including hospitals, nursing facilities, subacute care and assisted living facilities, psychiatric hospitals, hospice care, and home- and community-based care.

The primary association representing consultant pharmacists in the United States is the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, though several other pharmacy associations also represent consultant pharmacists in various respects. The Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy is the body in Australia which accredits pharmacists. This allows the pharmacist to be remunerated by the Australian government for conducting medication reviews for residents of aged care facilities and people in their homes.

Unlike retail pharmacists and hospital pharmacists, most consultant pharmacists generally own their own practice or work for one of a handful of specialized pharmacy companies, the largest of which is Omnicare. Many consultant pharmacists do not even dispense drugs, and in many ways they resemble physicians more than the traditional concept of a retail pharmacist.

Recently, consultant pharmacists have started to expand into the realm of "Senior Care Pharmacy," a term used to refer to the practice of consultant pharmacy for seniors in non-institutional settings. As the American Post-World War II baby boom approaches retirement, this practice is becoming much more widely sought. Many seniors, while not requiring nursing home care, still have complex medication regimens, often prescribed by numerous non-coordinating physicians. A senior care pharmacist works with these patients to resolve conflicts in their medication regimen and to review its effectiveness in addressing their medical conditions.