ABSTRACT
Evidence-based clinical practice describes the complex process of decision making and places it in the context of basing decisions on a systematic appraisal of the best evidence available. Evidence-based medicine is an approach to health care that promotes the collection, interpretation and integration of valid, important and applicable patient-reported, clinician-observed and research-derived evidence. The demand for evidence to support both activity and development could cause problems for the pharmacy profession unless there is a realignment to ensure that the research currently taking place is strengthened to produce evidence that is of a higher quality. Patients are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about their own conditions and the treatment options available for their diseases, encompassing both conventional and unconventional medicine. The scenario of the patient arriving at a consultation armed with a sheaf of information downloaded from the Internet is becoming increasingly common. The industry is extremely in many areas of medicines development, yet efforts are still geared to the need for registration.
