APhA Policy Manual

Continuum of Patient Care

PATIENT/PHARMACIST RELATIONSHIPS

APhA advocates and will facilitate pharmacists’ participation in the continuum of patient care. The continuum of patient care is characterized by the interdisciplinary care provided a patient through a series of organized, connected events or activities independent of time and practice site, in order to optimize desired therapeutic outcomes.
APhA will facilitate pharmacists’ participation in the continuum of patient care by (a) achieving recognition for the pharmacist as a primary care provider; (b) securing access for pharmacists to patient information systems, including creation of the necessary software for the purpose of record maintenance of cognitive services provided by pharmacists; and (c) developing means and methods to establish and enable pharmacists’ direct participation in the continuum of patient care.