Exploring the role of the pharmacist in global health.

Objective: The objective of this commentary is to explore the potential role of the pharmacist in the field of global health by understanding the definition of global health and how it can be applied to the profession of pharmacy.

Summary: While the role of the pharmacist in public health has been defined, the literature is limited with respect to the role of the pharmacist in global health. It is suggested that the "global" in global health should refer to the scope of a problem and not necessarily the geographic location. Through this lens, pharmacists have the opportunity to play an important role in both public health and global health. In particular, pharmacists can look at the varied global health careers established in medicine and use this as a framework to understand the potential role of the pharmacist within global health practice and program delivery, research, and policy.

Conclusions: To further define the role of the pharmacist in global health, pharmacists may have to change their perception of what services they can provide and where these services can be applied.