Sociology for pharmacists

Traditionally, pharmacy education has been based on knowledge of pharmacology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, and physiology. This knowledge served pharmacists well when they were considered artisans and craftsmen who could know and utilize all the available knowledge. In the post-antibiotic era with its pursuit of the “magic bullet” and the subsequent growth of the pharmaceutical industry, more and more medicines came to market and the increased specialization in the health-care sector created an increasingly fragmented and complex system. The time had come for pharmacy practice to become reflective and forward thinking, which required taking stock, that is, to control, intervene, and implement change in the delivery of services and pharmacy management.