The role of the pharmacist continues to evolve to include more direct patient care, according to Dr. Priyam Mithawala, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the PC School of Pharmacy.

“Now more than ever, team-based patient care is gaining traction in the United States,” she said.

Mithawala prepares her students for the roles they’ll take on when they become pharmacists. She emphasizes the role of the pharmacist when she’s teaching and when she’s working with students at her clinical practice site.

“As pharmacists continue to collaborate as part of a patient’s team of providers,” she said, “it is important to understand the types of services they provide, their capacity to meaningfully improve care and, ultimately, how these services can align with the evolving healthcare environment.”

Researching the Role of the Pharmacist

Mithawala researches the pharmacist’s role too.

“My research interest focuses on the role of the clinical pharmacist in the optimization of medicine use and the implementation of interventions aimed at improving healthcare outcomes at the primary health care level as well as in hospitalized patients,” Mithawala said.

Mithawala’s most recent research was selected as a special feature in the March 2019 issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences. Recent research has also appeared in the medical journals CardiologyToday and US Pharmacist.

Better Researcher, Better Teacher

Mithawala says being an effective researcher makes her a more effective teacher. And vice versa.

“Both teaching and research help you develop insight into your clinical practice, refine your communication skills and draw on your ability to select and organize content in a meaningful way,” she said.

“Because both teaching and research require similar skills,” she said. “You will find that improvement and advancement in one feeds back into improvement and advancement in the other.”

Visit Campus

Chat with professors and learn about the research opportunities for you during Accepted Students Day on April 27. Let us know you’re coming by mailing in your response card. See you soon!