The Shifting Landscape of Pharmaceutical Care–During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pharmacists have been at the forefront of the battle against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic, offering their expertise and services in various settings, from community and hospital pharmacies to research institutions, insurance organizations, pharmaceutical industries and regulatory agencies. The unprecedented challenges faced by pharmacists in the wake of the Pandemic – which need to be addressed in order to ensure the appropriate, timely and comprehensive provision of pharmaceutical care services – are twofold: one is to continue providing uninterrupted, day-to-day services at usual practice sites while adhering to new guidelines set in place to minimize disease transmission (such as using appropriate Protective Personal Equipment (PPEs) in the workplace, managing drug shortages, keeping current with up-to-date treatment guidelines, etc.); the other is to meet new patient needs/ demands through devising innovative, yet feasible solutions, in order to fulfill their responsibilities as a member of multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Several such strategies which should be considered more seriously by pharmaceutical care practitioners in Iran have been presented and discussed in this editorial.