Interprofessional Practice Approach between Social Work and Pharmacy

Abstract

The comprehensive and patient-centered management of dementia patients requires the collaborative efforts of various disciplines.  An emphasis can be placed on interprofessional relationship that exists among the disciplines of psychiatry, pharmacy, and psychology as it relates to the management of the observable behavioral and psychological disturbances of the disorder. The ability to achieve a positive therapeutic outcome with dementia patients generally involves the active participation of multiple disciplines given the complex and progressive nature of dementia. The existing literature has extensively examined the relationship that exists between nurses and physicians and the observed successes that have been identified with this collaboration has been extrapolated to other health care professions. This article will seek to examine the benefits that can be reaped from the involvement of psychiatry, pharmacy, and psychology in providing a focused and integrated approach to the management of patients with dementia.