The challenges of defining pharmaceutical care on an international level

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this article is to gain insight into the place of pharmaceutical care in health care and into the different interpretations of the term “pharmaceutical care” around the world. Based upon a literature review, communication with peers and results from an international questionnaire, the different influences on and interpretation of the terminology are outlined, and the place of pharmaceutical care within the health system is defined. The Dutch situation with regard to pharmacy and pharmaceutical care is used as an example of the national development of a definition. Different linguistic and cultural influences on the construction of the definition are discussed. There are different definitions of pharmaceutical care, although several countries use the 1990 definition of Hepler and Strand as a working definition. The term is often used without an explanation of its content. Influences of health systems, cultures and languages across different countries on the interpretation of the term are often overlooked. We conclude that, even after 20 years of evolution of the definition of pharmaceutical care in different cultures, for an observer it is not absolutely clear what pharmaceutical care is, and where exactly it fits into health care in different countries. The definition of social and culturally bound activities such as pharmaceutical care need rephrasing, depending on factors in the country of practice and health care system developments over time. Additionally there are conceptual language differences.