Pharmacology is the scientific study that explores the effect of chemical agents, either natural or synthetic on a biological system. In the early days, pharmacology focused on describing the effect of chemical substances on a human body. However, during the recent past, the discipline has gained popularity receiving attention from many scholars and professionals around the globe. Modern pharmacology attempts to link the perfect amount of drugs with accurate results. Moreover, modern day research has shown much attention being attributed towards the diet used to supplement drug therapies. Research has argued that nutrition is as important as some prescribed medicines and the lifestyle lived. Food and diet can be incorporated to strengthen clinical practices to facilitate better health (Raiten, 2011). The paper expounds on the importance of nutrition in pharmacology, and the critical role played by nurses in promoting better and improved healthcare in the multidisciplinary clinical discipline of pharmacology.
Literature Review
Traditionally the role of the pharmacy was to facilitate prescribed OTC (Over the Counter) drugs to patients. In a recent article, it is argued that GP’s have limited time to provide diet and lifestyle consultation services to patients that need it. Alternatively, the article claims that the pharmacy teams have an important role to play in regards to providing nutritional advice to the different patients (Farhan, 2016). The article emphasizes on nutrition as a primary means of curing diseases. In her article Farhan Fawzi acknowledges nutrition to have a positive impact towards diseases such as type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Food plays a significant role in improving the health status of patients, according to a Health Advisor intervention pilot by Marie Polley, it is affirmed that nutrition intervention to patients diagnosed with diabetes leads to improved HBA levels and reduced healthcare costs.
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Nutrition has a significant role in the safety and effectiveness of drug metabolism. Certain diseases such as HIV demand antiretroviral therapies for prevention, treatment, and care. However, recent articles have shown that the interaction between nutrition and pharmacology develops a basis for drug metabolism, distribution, and effectiveness (Raiten, 2011). Raiden Daniel argues that food provides the nutrients required by the body to process foreign substances (Raiten, 2011). In this case, nutrients also act as a detoxifier to the toxins ingested to the human body.
Discussion
Nurses play a significant role in providing care services to patients at the clinic. Nurses among other clinical personnel contribute differently to the wellbeing of the patient. Nutritional advice is essential to any patient suffering or recovering from a diagnosis. Nurses are central to providing information on nutritional value as a supplement of drug prescription. At the clinical setting, nurses provide caring services to both in and out-patients. Correspondingly, nurses play a significant role in providing care services to the different type of patients that visit the clinic. Nurses are immediate caretakers of patients in the hospital; thereby they understand patients better (C. Mestres, 2009). Nurses are strategically positioned between pharmacology and nutrition; they have a better understanding of the effect that chemical substances have on the human body.
In this, nurses can identify most favorable food and diet to compensate as a supplement to drug ingestion and toxin detoxification (C. Mestres, 2009). Nurses at the bedside are keen to understand patients’ needs and play a significant role in facilitating better care and quality care. According to research, 80% of cardiovascular diseases have been treated using nutritional means. Food and healthy diet provide enough nutrients to repair and deal with the body. Professional nurses have the responsibility to exercise nutritional care practices as well as advice patients on nutritional values.
In a recent study, it was confirmed that nurses are unable to provide nutritional information due to poor nutritional skills. Nutritional pharmacology is not a registered course in many institutions, the lack of proper skills inhibits nurses from providing care services. Professional nurses lack the nutritional know-how of how food and diet positively affect treatment and recovery (Farhan, 2016). Nurses should expand and convey research on the discipline of nutrition and pharmacology and identify appropriate interaction techniques that yield adequate and improved health care. Nurses should study nutrition as a scientific treatment procedure and emphasize on the integration of chemical combustion and nutritional supplements.
References
C. Mestres, M. D. (2009). Importance of Pharmacology Knowledge by dieticians. Current Nutrition and Food Science , 49-52.
Farhan, F. (2016). Food as Medicine: the importance of nurtrition in disease. The Pharmaceutical Journal , 31-37.
Raiten, D. J. (2011). Nutrition and pHarmacology: General principles and implications for HIV. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , 94-98.
