Dispensation of outpatient hospital medicines by hospital only versus hospital-community pharmacies collaboration: a cross-sectional study and survey of patient's satisfaction.

Goal: To describe the experience of a dispensing model of outpatient hospital medicines (OHM) via collaboration of hospital and community pharmacies, and to explore patient satisfaction with the strategy as compared with the hospital pharmacy only service. Background: Patient satisfaction is an important component of the quality of health care. Study: A new model of dispensing OHM was conducted in the Outpatients Unit of the Service of Hospital Pharmacy of Hospital del Mar, in Barcelona, Spain. Participants were patients on stable chronic treatment with clinical or social fragility, immunocompromised patients, and those whose residence was located at a distance from the hospital that justified drug delivery through the community pharmacy. A cross sectional study was done using an ad hoc 14-item questionnaire collecting demographic data, duration of treatment, usual mode of collecting medication, and the degree of satisfaction regarding waiting time for the collection of medication, attention received by professionals, information received on treatment, and confidentiality. Results: The study population included a total of 4,057 patients (66.8% men) with a mean age of 53 (15.5) years, of whom 1,286 responded, with a response rate of 31.7%. Variables significantly associated with response to the survey were age over 44 years, particularly the age segment of 55-64 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.51) and receiving OHM via the community pharmacy (OR 12.76). Patients in the community pharmacy group (n = 927) as compared with those in the hospital pharmacy group (n = 359) showed significantly higher percentages of 'satisfied' and 'very satisfied' (p < 0.001) in the waiting time for the collection of OHM (88.1% vs. 66%), attention received by professionals (92.5% vs. 86.1%), and information received on treatment (79.4% vs. 77.4%). In relation to confidentiality, results obtained were similar in both pharmacy settings. Conclusion: Dispensing OHM through the community pharmacy was a strategy associated with greater patient satisfaction as compared with OHM collection at the hospital pharmacy service, with greater accessibility, mainly due to close distance to the patient's home. The participation of community pharmacists could further optimize the care received by patients undergoing OHM treatment.

Despair and hope: Is the retail community pharmacy workforce in danger of becoming a monopsony labor market?

OBJECTIVE: Mergers of big chain retail community pharmacies can affect the competitiveness of the pharmacy workforce to negotiate better wages and work conditions. However, it is unclear whether these types of mergers are generalizable to the U.S. pharmacy workforce. We should observe this effect when comparing annual wage trends between retail community pharmacy workers and nonretail community pharmacy workers. In the absence of this effect, annual wage trends would be similar. To examine this theory, annual wage trends for community pharmacy workers were compared with hospital pharmacy workers between 2012 and 2022. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A serial cross-sectional study was performed to compare the annual wages between retail community pharmacy workers and hospital pharmacy workers between 2012 and 2022 using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). Pharmacy workforce was categorized as pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy aides (clerks) and grouped into retail or hospital pharmacy settings based on the North American Industry Classification System. Pharmacy workers' annual wages were based on the U.S. BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data. OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual wages. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2022, statistically significant annual wage reduction was greater among pharmacists in the retail than pharmacists in the hospital setting by -$1974 (95% CI -$2921 to -$1026) per year. However, these trends were not statistically significant among pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides. Pharmacy technicians in the retail and hospital settings had a 3.4% and 7.0% increase in average annual wages, respectively. Pharmacy aides in the retail and hospital settings had a 16.8% and 21.6% increase in average annual wages, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although pharmacists' annual wages decreased, it is unclear whether this was caused by the monopsony labor market. These findings suggest that there may be inefficiencies in the retail community pharmacy labor market, which may stimulate policies to improve pharmacy workforce conditions and patient safety.

Mapping community pharmacy services in Brazil: a scoping review

Abstract The delivery of clinical pharmacy services has been growing in Brazilian community pharmacies, and it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the topic. This scoping review aimed to provide an overview of Brazilian studies about clinical pharmacy services in community pharmacies. Original research articles, with no restriction of time, study design, or patient's health condition, were included. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, and Lilacs. Two reviewers conducted the screening, full-text reading, and data extraction independently. ROB and ROBINS-I were used for the assessment of quality. Charts and tables were built to summarise the data. Seventy-two articles were included. A diversity of study designs, number of participants, terms used, and outcomes was found. São Paulo and Sergipe States had the highest number of studies (n=10). Pharmacists' interventions were not fully reported in 65% of studies, and most studies presented an unclear risk of bias. Studies were very diverse, impairing the comparisons between the results and hindering their reproducibility. This review suggests using guidelines and checklists for better structuration of pharmacists' interventions as well as reporting results and measuring fidelity in future research.

Unintentional guideline deviations in hospitalized patients with two or more antithrombotic agents: an intervention study.

PURPOSE: Treatment schedules for antithrombotic therapy are complex, and there is a risk of inappropriate prescribing or continuation of antithrombotic therapy beyond the intended period of time. The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency of unintentional guideline deviations in hospitalized patients. Secondary aims were to determine whether the frequency of unintentional guideline deviations decreased after intervention by a pharmacist, to determine the acceptance rate of the interventions and to determine the type of interventions. METHODS: We performed a non-controlled prospective intervention study in three teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. We examined whether hospitalized patients who used the combination of an anticoagulant plus at least one other antithrombotic agent had an unintentional guideline deviation. In these cases, the hospital pharmacist contacted the physician to assess whether this deviation was intentional. If the deviation was unintentional, a recommendation was provided how to adjust the antithrombotic regimen according to guideline recommendations. RESULTS: Of the 988 included patients, 407 patients had an unintentional guideline deviation (41.2%). After intervention, this was reduced to 22 patients (2.2%) (p < 0.001). The acceptance rate of the interventions was 96.6%. The most frequently performed interventions were discontinuation of an low molecular weight heparin in combination with a direct oral anticoagulant and discontinuation of an antiplatelet agent when there was no indication for the combination of an antiplatelet agent and an anticoagulant. CONCLUSION: A significant number of hospitalized patients who used an anticoagulant plus one other antithrombotic agent had an unintentional guideline deviation. Intervention by a pharmacist decreased unintentional guideline deviations.

Evaluating essential medicines for treating childhood cancers: availability, price and affordability study in Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: Access to childhood cancer medicines is a critical global health challenge. There is a lack of sufficient context-specific data in Ghana on access to essential medicines for treating childhood cancers. Here, we present an analysis of essential cancer medicine availability, pricing, and affordability using the pediatric oncology unit of a tertiary hospital as the reference point. METHOD: Data on prices and availability of 20 strength-specific essential cancer medicines and eight non-cancer medicines were evaluated using the modified World Health Organization (WHO)/Health Action International method. Two pharmacies in the hospital and four private pharmacies around the hospital were surveyed. We assessed their median price ratio using the WHO international reference price guide. The number of days wages per the government daily wage salary was used to calculate the affordability of medicines. RESULTS: The mean availability of essential cancer medicines and non-cancer medicines at the hospital pharmacies were 27 and 38% respectively, and 75 and 84% respectively for private pharmacies. The median price ratio of cancer medicines was 1.85, and non-cancer medicines was 3.75. The estimated cost of medicines for treating a 30 kg child with Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was GHÈ» 4928.04 (US$907.56) and GHÈ» 4878.00 (US$902.62) for Retinoblastoma, requiring 417 and 413-days wages respectively for the lowest-paid unskilled worker in Ghana. CONCLUSION: The mean availability of cancer medicines at the public and private pharmacies were less than the WHO target of 80%. The median price ratio for cancer and non-cancer medicines was less than 4, yet the cost of medicines appears unaffordable in the local setting. A review of policies and the establishment of price control could improve availability and reduce medicines prices for the low-income population.

Impact of an integrated medication reconciliation model led by a hospital clinical pharmacist on the reduction of post-discharge unintentional discrepancies.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: There is no optimal standardized model in the transfer of care between hospitals and primary healthcare facilities. Transfer of care is a critical point during which unintentional discrepancies, that can jeopardize pharmacotherapy outcomes, can occur. The objective was to determine the effect that an integrated medication reconciliation model has on the reduction of the number of post-discharge unintentional discrepancies. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was conducted on an elderly patient population. The intervention group of patients received a medication reconciliation model, led entirely by a hospital clinical pharmacist (medication reconciliation at admission, review and optimization of pharmacotherapy during hospitalization, patient education and counselling, medication reconciliation at discharge, medication reconciliation as part of primary health care in collaboration with a primary care physician and a community pharmacist). Unintentional discrepancies were identified by comparing the medications listed on the discharge summary with the first list of medications prescribed and issued at primary care level, immediately after discharge. The main outcome measures were incidence, type and potential severity of post-discharge unintentional discrepancies. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 353 patients were analysed (182 in the intervention and 171 in the control group). The medication reconciliation model, led by a hospital clinical pharmacist, significantly reduced the number of patients with unintentional discrepancies by 57.1% (p < 0.001). The intervention reduced the number of patients with unintentional discrepancies associated with a potential moderate harm by 58.6% (p < 0.001) and those associated with a potential severe harm by 68.6% (p = 0.039). The most common discrepancies were incorrect dosage, drug omission and drug commission. Cardiovascular medications were most commonly involved in unintentional discrepancies. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The integrated medication reconciliation model, led by a hospital clinical pharmacist in collaboration with all health professionals involved in the patient's pharmacotherapy and treatment, significantly reduced unintentional discrepancies in the transfer of care.

[Do clinical pharmacy activities have an impact on the re-hospitalization rate of elderly patients admitted in an Elderly Emergency Medicine (EMM) unit for fall?] / Les activités de pharmacie clinique ont-elles un impact sur le taux de ré-hospitalisation des patients âgés admis pour chute en unité de médecine d'urgences des personnes âgées (MUPA) ?

To evaluate the effect of clinical pharmacy interventions on the unplanned rehospitalizations rates of elderly people admitted for fall to the elderly emergency medicine (EEM) unit in a teaching hospital. DESIGN AND MEASURES: This was a longitudinal, comparative pilot study. Patients aged at least 75 who were admitted to the EEM unit for a fall and who had at least two chronic diseases and who were being treated with two or more medications were included from February 1, 2018 to June 30, 2018 and followed by 90 days. The main outcomes were the unplanned rehospitalizations rate at Limoges Teaching Hospital within the 90 days (primary outcome), 30 days and 72 hrs. The estimated cost-saving was also assessed. RESULTS: We included 252 patients. The mean age was 88.4 ± 5.8 years and the average baseline number of medications was 8.3 ± 3.4. In total, 158 pharmaceutical interventions were performed, reflecting an acceptance rate of 94.9%. We found a significant reduction of the rate of unplanned rehospitalizations at 90-day (OR = 0.45 (0.26-0.79) p = 0.005). These results were still consistent at 30-day (p = 0.035) and 72 hours (p = 0.041). We found a cost-saving of 37,770 euros related to 21 avoided rehospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highly emphasize the positive effects of clinical pharmacy services on the prevention of unplanned rehospitalizations of old adults admitted for fall.

Optimizing pharmacists' detection of prescribing errors: Comparison of on-ward and central pharmacy services.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Prescribing errors are the leading cause of adverse drug events in hospitalized patients. Pharmaceutical validation, defined as the review of drug orders by a pharmacist, associated with clinical decision support (CDS) systems, significantly reduces these errors and adverse drug events. In Belgium, because clinical pharmacy services have limited public financial support, most pharmaceutical validations are performed at the central pharmacy instead of on-ward, by hospital pharmacists doing dispensing activities. In that context, we aimed at evaluating whether the strategy of CDS-guided central validation was the most appropriate method to improve the quality and safety of medicines' use compared to an on-ward pharmaceutical validation. METHODS: Our retrospective observational study was conducted in a Belgian tertiary care hospital, in 2018-2019. Data were extracted from our validation software and pharmacists' charts. The outcomes of the study were the number of pharmaceutical interventions due to the detection of prescribing errors, reasons for interventions, their acceptance rate and their potential clinical impact (according to two blinded experts) in the central pharmacy and on-ward validation groups. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Despite the use of the same CDS, a pharmaceutical intervention following the detection of a prescribing error was made for 2.9% (20/698) of central group patients and 13.3% (93/701) of on-ward patients (χ2  = 49.97, p < 0.001). Interventions made at the central pharmacy (n = 20) mostly relied on CDS-alerts (i.e. drug-drug interaction [25%] or overdosing [20%]) while interventions made on-ward (n = 93) were also for pharmacotherapy optimization (i.e. no valid indication [25%] or inappropriate drug's choice [11%]). The on-ward validation group showed a higher acceptance rate compared to the central group (84% and 65%, respectively [Fisher's test, p = 0.053]). Proportions of interventions with significant or very significant clinical impact were similar between the two groups but as fewer interventions were made centrally, a significant proportion of errors were probably not detected by the central validation. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: On-ward pharmaceutical validation leads to a higher rate of prescribing error detection. Pharmaceutical interventions made by on-ward pharmacists are also better accepted and more relevant, going further than CDS-alerts.

Magnitude and determinants of drug-related problems among patients admitted to medical wards of southwestern Ethiopian hospitals: A multicenter prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Drug-related problem (DRP) is an event involving drugs that can impact the patient's desired goal of therapy. In hospitalized patients, DRPs happen during the whole process of drug use such as during prescription, dispensing, administration, and follow-up of their treatment. Unrecognized and unresolved DRPs lead to significant drug-related morbidity and mortality. Several studies conducted in different hospitals and countries showed a high incidence of DRPs among hospitalized patients. Despite the available gaps, there were scanties of studies conducted on DRPs among patients admitted to medical wards in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study assessed the magnitude of drug-related problems and associated factors among patients admitted to the medical wards of selected Southwestern Ethiopian hospitals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted at medical wards of Mettu Karl Hospital, Bedele General Hospital and Darimu General Hospital. Adult patients greater than 18 years who were admitted to the non-intensive care unit (ICU) of medical wards and with more than 48 h of length of stay were included. Identified DRPs were recorded and classified using the pharmaceutical care network Europe foundation classification system and adverse drug reaction was assessed using the Naranjo algorithm of adverse drug reaction probability scale. Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale was used to measure medication adherence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the associations between the dependent variable and independent variables. RESULT: Of the 313 study participants, 178 (56.9%) were males. The prevalence of actual or potential DRPs among study participants taking at least a single drug was 212 (67.7%). About 125 (36.63%) patients had one or more co-morbid disease and the average duration of hospital stay of 7.14 ± 4.731 days. A total of 331 DRPs were identified with an average 1.06 DRP per patient. The three-leading categories of DRPs were unnecessary prescription of drugs 92 (27.79%), non-adherence (17.22%) and dose too high (16.92%). The most common drugs associated with DRPs were ceftriaxone (28.37%), cimetidine (14.88%), and diclofenac (14.42%). The area of residence (AOR = 2.550, 95CI%: 1.238-5.253, p = 0.011), hospital stay more than 7 days (AOR = 9.785, 95CI%: 4.668-20.511, p≤0.001), poly pharmacy (AOR = 3.229, 95CI%: 1.433-7.278, p = 0.005) were predictors of drug-related problem in multivariable logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of drug therapy problems among patients admitted to the medical wards of study settings was found to be high. Therefore, the clinical pharmacy services should be established in hospitals to tackle the DTPs in this area. Additionally, healthcare providers of hospitals also should create awareness for patients seeking care from health facilities of the importance of rational drug usage.

A retrospective study comparing interventions by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists in outpatient chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The differences in the clinical pharmacy services (CPS) provided by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists have not been sufficiently explained. AIM: This study aimed to demonstrate the differences in direct CPS provided by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists for patients and physicians, and to assess the potential impact of these services on medical costs. METHODS: We retrospectively examined CPS provided by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists for outpatients who underwent chemotherapy between January and December 2016. RESULTS: In total, 1177 and 1050 CPS provided by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists, respectively, were investigated. The rates of interventions performed by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists for physicians-determined treatment were 18.5% and 11.3%, respectively (p < .001). The rates of oncology and non-oncology pharmacist interventions accepted by physicians were 84.6 and 78.8%, respectively (p = .12). Level 4 and Level 5 interventions accounted for 64.6% of all oncology pharmacist interventions and 53.0% of all non-oncology pharmacist interventions (p = .03). The rates of improvement in symptoms from adverse drug reactions among patients resulting from interventions by oncology and non-oncology pharmacists were 89.4 and 72.1%, respectively (p = .02). Conservative assessments of medical cost impact showed that a single intervention by an oncology and by a non-oncology pharmacist saved ¥6355 and ¥3604, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggested that CPS by oncology pharmacists enable safer and more effective therapy for patients with cancer and indirectly contribute to reducing health care fees.

Impact of a prolonged COVID-19 lockdown on patterns of admission, mortality and performance indicators in a cardiovascular intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: The effects of an early and prolonged lockdown during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on cardiovascular intensive care units (CICUs) are not well established. OBJECTIVES: This study analyses patterns of admission, mortality and performance indicators in a CICU before and during the Argentine lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational cross-sectional study of all consecutive patients aged 18 years or more admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit at a high-volume reference hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, comparing hospitalization rates, primary causes of admission, inpatient utilization indicators, pharmacy supplies' expenditures and in-hospital mortality between 5 March and 31 July 2020, with two corresponding control periods in 2019 and 2018. RESULTS: We included 722 female patients [mean age of 61.6 (SD 15.5) years; 237 (32.8%)]. Overall hospitalizations dropped 53.2% (95%CI: 45.3, 61.0%), from 295.5 patients/year over the periods 2018/2019 to 137 patients in 2020. Cardiovascular disease-related admissions dropped 59.9%, while admission for non-cardiac causes doubled its prevalence from 9.6% over the periods 2018/2019 to 22.6% in the study period (P < 0.001).In the period 2020, the bed occupancy rate fell from 82.2% to 77.4%, and the bed turnover rate dropped 50% from 7.88 to 3.91 monthly discharges/bed. The average length of stay doubled from 3.26 to 6.75 days, and the turnover interval increased from 3.8 to 8.39 days in 2020.Pharmacy supplies' expenditures per discharge increased 134% along with a rise in antibiotics usage from 6.5 to 11.4 vials/ampoules per discharge (P < 0.02).Overall mortality increased from 7% (n = 41) to 13.9% (n = 19) (P = 0.008) at the expense of non-cardiac-related admissions (3.6-19.4%, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study found a significant reduction in overall and cardiovascular disease-related causes of admission to the cardiac intensive care unit, worse performance indicators and increased in-hospital mortality along the first 5 months of the early and long-lasting COVID-19 lockdown in Argentina. These results highlight the need to foster public awareness concerning the risks of avoiding hospital attendance. Moreover, health systems should follow strict screening protocols to prevent potential biases in the admission of patients with critical conditions unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Use of a Remote Oncology Pharmacy Service Platform for Patients With Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implementation and User Acceptance Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak has increased challenges associated with health management, especially cancer management. In an effort to provide continuous pharmaceutical care to cancer patients, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) implemented a remote pharmacy service platform based on its already existing web-based hospital app known as Cloud SYSUCC. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics, acceptance, and initial impact of the Cloud SYSUCC app during a COVID-19 outbreak in a tertiary cancer hospital in China. METHODS: The total number of online prescriptions and detailed information on the service were obtained during the first 6 months after the remote service platform was successfully set up. The patients' gender, age, residence, primary diagnosis, drug classification, weekly number of prescriptions, and prescribed drugs were analyzed. In addition, a follow-up telephonic survey was conducted to evaluate patients' satisfaction in using the remote prescription service. RESULTS: A total of 1718 prescriptions, including 2022 drugs for 1212 patients, were delivered to 24 provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government of China between February 12, 2020, and August 11, 2020. The majority of patients were female (841/1212, 69.39%), and 90.18% (1093/1212) of them were aged 31-70 years old. The top 3 primary diagnoses for which remote medical prescriptions were made included breast cancer (599/1212, 49.42%), liver cancer (249/1212, 20.54%), and thyroid cancer (125/1212, 10.31%). Of the 1718 prescriptions delivered, 1435 (83.5%) were sent to Guangdong Province and 283 (16.5%) were sent to other provinces in China. Of the 2022 drugs delivered, 1012 (50.05%) were hormonal drugs. The general trend in the use of the remote prescription service declined since the 10th week. A follow-up telephonic survey found that 88% (88/100) of the patients were very satisfied, and 12% (12/100) of the patients were somewhat satisfied with the remote pharmacy service platform. CONCLUSIONS: The remote pharmacy platform Cloud SYSUCC is efficient and convenient for providing continuous pharmaceutical care to patients with cancer during the COVID-19 crisis. The widespread use of this platform can help to reduce person-to-person transmission as well as infection risk for these patients. Further efforts are needed to improve the quality and acceptance of the Cloud SYSUCC platform, as well as to regulate and standardize the management of this novel service.

Effects of a multifaceted intervention to promote the use of intravenous iron sucrose complex instead of ferric carboxymaltose in patients admitted for more than 24 h.

PURPOSE: Although more practical for use, the impact of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) on the hospital budget is considerable, and intravenous iron sucrose complex (ISC) represents a cost-saving alternative for the management of iron deficiency anemia in patients during hospitalization. The Drug Committee decided to reserve FCM for day hospitalizations and contraindications to ISC, especially allergy. ISC was available for prescription for all other situations. METHODS: The impact of a multifaceted intervention promoting a switch from FCM to ISC was evaluated using an interrupted time series model with segmented regression analysis. The standardized rate of the dispensing of FCM, ISC, and oral iron by the hospital pharmacy, as well as the rate of the dispensing of packed red blood cells and the number of biological iron status measurements, was analyzed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: There was an immediate decrease in FCM consumption following the intervention, with a reduction of 88% (RR: 0.12 [CI95% 0.10 to 0.15]). Conversely, there was a large increase in ISC use (RR: 5.1 [CI95% 4.4 to 5.9]). We did not observe a prescription shift to packed red blood cells or oral iron after the intervention. The time series analysis showed the frequency of iron status testing to remain stable before and after. The direct savings for intravenous iron for 8 months were 187,417.54 €. CONCLUSION: Our intervention to lower the impact of intravenous iron therapy on the hospital budget was effective.

Clinical pharmacy interventions in intensive care unit patients.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: The drug therapy of critically ill patients requires intensive evaluation and management due to their severity of illness. These patients often require complex medication regimens. This study analysed the pharmaceutical care provided by clinical pharmacists (CPs) in a single medical centre in Taiwan. In addition, we explored the drug-related problems (DRPs) experienced by patients in intensive care units (ICUs) to determine how to improve the quality and safety of drug therapy. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted from February 2019 to January 2020. The CPs implemented Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) Scheme for Improving Hospital Drug Safety and Quality programme to improve the safety and quality of drug therapy. The CPs included in the study had at least 2 years' clinical experience and had participated in an ICU team for at least 6 consecutive months. They provided individualized drug treatment evaluation and intervention. Content of care was documented in the Clinical Pharmacy Service Record. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 4374 pharmacy care records were evaluated by 12 CPs. The major category of ICU pharmaceutical care was medication reconciliation (n = 2938; 67.2%). Most of the medication interventions were for errors in dosing or dosing frequency (n = 218; 55.8%). Patients with renal dysfunction required more pharmaceutical interventions than did patients with normal renal function (odds ratio = 1.63; 95% confidence interval 1.31-2.01). The main interventions were related to antimicrobial agents (n = 386; 81.3%). During the study period, 99.2% of interventions were accepted and 90.8% were changed within 24 hours. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Increased pharmaceutical interventions for patients with renal dysfunction compared with patients with normal renal function were observed. Most cases of inappropriate frequency of dosing or dosing of antimicrobial agents required intervention.

[Neonatal parenteral nutrition formulation: where are we?] / Formulación de nutrición parenteral neonatal: ¿dónde estamos?

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: the introduction of parenteral nutrition in preterm infants has meant a major advance in their prognosis, being the last few years very fruitful in terms of publication of guidelines in this area. Objectives: to know the formulation and preparation procedures of neonatal parenteral nutrition (NPN) in Spanish hospitals. Methods: a multi-centre survey was conducted in Pharmacy Services on the aforementioned processes. Results: fifty-five hospitals met inclusion criteria. Electronic prescription systems were use by 51 %, 65.5 % always formulated individually, while 34.4 % had predesigned formulas. Tricameral preparations were used by 13.0 %. In 52.7 % of cases, first day nutrition was prepared on demand, starting before 8 hours of life in 88.1 % of cases. Inorganic phosphate was the first option in 10.4 %, vitamins, trace elements and zinc were added daily in 92.7 %, 90.9 % and 70.9 % of cases, respectively. NPN including lipids in the same bag was formulated by 45.4 % of the hospitals, compared to 34.5 % where it was administered separately in all cases. In 50.9 % of hospitals they never added heparin to their NPN. The 89.1 % used photoprotected bags. The stability of the admixture varied from 24 hours to 15 days. Conclusion: the elaboration of the PPN in Spain is subject to great variability. There is controversy regarding the use of heparin and ternary mixtures, which is reflected in the variability of clinical practice.

INTRODUCCIÓN: .Introducción: la instauración de nutrición parenteral al prematuro ha supuesto un importante avance en su pronóstico. Los últimos años han sido muy fructíferos en cuanto a la publicación de guías en este ámbito. Objetivos: conocer los procedimientos de formulación y elaboración de las nutriciones parenterales neonatales (NPN) en los hospitales españoles. Métodos: se llevó a cabo una encuesta multicéntrica dirigida a los servicios de farmacia sobre los procesos anteriormente citados. Resultados: 55 hospitales cumplieron criterios de inclusión. El 51 % disponía de sistemas informáticos de prescripción, y el 65,5 % formulaba siempre de forma individualizada, mientras que el 34,4 % disponía de fórmulas prediseñadas. Los preparados tricamerales eran utilizados por el 13,0 %. En el 52,7 % de los casos se preparaban las nutriciones de primer día bajo demanda, y ésta se iniciaba antes de las 8 horas de vida en un 88,1 % de los casos. El fosfato inorgánico era la primera opción en un 10,4 %. Se añadían diariamente vitaminas, oligoelementos y zinc en el 92,7 %, 90,9 % y 70,9 % de los casos, respectivamente. El 45,4 % de los hospitales elaboraba siempre las NPPN incluyendo los lípidos en la misma bolsa, frente al 34,5 % en los que estos se administraban por separado en todos los casos. El 50,9 % de los hospitales nunca añadía heparina a sus nutriciones. Las bolsas fotoprotectoras eran utilizadas por un 89,1 %. La estabilidad de las nutriciones variaba desde 24 horas a 15 días. Conclusiones: la elaboración de la NPN en España está sujeta a gran variabilidad. Existe controversia respecto al uso de heparina y mezclas ternarias, reflejada en la variabilidad de la práctica clínica.

Clinical Pharmacist-Led Impact on Inappropriate Albumin Utilization and Associated Costs in General Ward Patients.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate albumin use in clinical practice remains problematic. Health-systems face continued challenges in promoting cost-appropriate use. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and economic impact of a clinical pharmacist-led intervention strategy targeting inappropriate albumin use in general ward patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study evaluated all adult (≥18 years) general ward patients administered ≥1 dose of albumin at a university medical center over a 2-year period. The intervention consisted of a clinical pharmacist-led strategy intervening on all albumin orders not in accordance with institutional guidelines. The primary end point was to compare inappropriate albumin utilization before and after implementation. Secondary end points compared the rates of inappropriate albumin use adjusted for hospital admission and patient-days as well as associated costs by appropriateness between study periods. RESULTS: A total of 4420 patients were screened, with 1971 (44.6%) patients meeting inclusion criteria. The clinical pharmacist strategy significantly reduced inappropriate albumin (grams) utilization by 86.0% (P < 0.001). A 7-fold reduction of inappropriate albumin administered adjusted for the number of patient admissions was found from the preimplementation period following clinical pharmacist intervention strategy implementation (415.3 ± 83.2 vs 57.5 ± 34.2 g per 100 general ward hospital admissions, respectively; P < 0.001). Also, the adjusted inappropriate albumin rate was reduced from 62.2 ± 12.3 to 8.6 ± 5.2 g per 100 patient-days in the preimplementation and postimplementation periods, respectively (P < 0.001). Annual cost savings were $421 455 overall, with $341 930 resulting from mitigation of inappropriate use. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Clinical pharmacist-led interventions significantly reduced inappropriate albumin use and costs in hospitalized patients.

Exploration of clinical management system: Career ladders, working model and reforms; a cross sectional estimate from Karachi, Pakistan.

Clinical and hospital pharmacy services are not just medical and pharmaceutical sciences but also occupy significant placement in healthcare system. Pakistan is a developing state with a huge prerequisite for changes in the general wellbeing framework, specially hospital and clinical aspect of pharmaceutical services. The principal intention of this study is to analyze the services offered by different pharmacies in hospitals of Karachi in terms of infrastructure and personnel service qualities. The study was conducted in a cross sectional way that included stratified sampling technique. Reactions were broken down utilizing descriptive and inferential insights of measurements. The fundamental result procedures incorporated the scope of hospital pharmacy services, the general recruitment of clinical drug specialists (pharmacist), the product and equipment used in hospital pharmacy services, the background of staff (educational), acquisition of proficient training mode, practical involvement and experience. The clinical pharmacy facilities coverage mutually on the departmental scale (median =22.43%) and patient scale (median =17.25%) do not comply the 100% coverage that is obligatory for standard practices. In addition, 48.65% of the pooled hospitals data has shown absence of distinct administration rules for hospital and clinical pharmacists, and 45.33% lacks the use of rational drug software. It is concluded that important parameters like drug monitoring, medication records keeping; appropriate drug information software's and quality assurance in hospitals still need attention for better patient outcomes.

A Co-Curricular Activity to Introduce Pharmacy Students to the Concepts of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Objective. To develop, implement, and evaluate a co-curricular activity in which second-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students developed an idea for a new clinical pharmacy service. Methods. A brief co-curricular activity based on the television series SharkTank was developed to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Second-year pharmacy students worked in assigned teams and were allowed one hour to develop an innovative clinical service to solve a pharmacy-related problem. Students then "pitched" their idea to a panel of four faculty members who served as the "sharks" and graded the teams using a rubric. The rubric which was employed was mapped to the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) Educational Outcomes. A pre- and post-activity survey was administered to students to gather information about changes in their perceptions of innovation and entrepreneurship in pharmacy. Results. Student groups received higher scores on their ability to present background information and the need for their clinical service and lower scores in areas such as tracking outcomes and predicting challenges. On the post-activity survey, 96.7% of students agreed that the activity gave them a better understanding of pharmacists' roles in establishing new clinical services, and 86.7% stated they intend to actively seek out new clinical pharmacy service opportunities in their future career. Conclusion. Results of the survey demonstrate that students understand the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in pharmacy practice, and almost all students felt that the activity gave them an even better understanding of the pharmacist's role in clinical service development. This activity can serve as a blueprint for schools of pharmacy looking to incorporate creative and fun methods of exposing PharmD students to innovation and entrepreneurship activities.

Evaluation of medication safety resources in pediatric hospitals.

PURPOSE: As health systems continue to expand pharmacy and clinical services, the ability to evaluate potential medication safety risks and mitigate errors remains a high priority. Workload and productivity monitoring tools for the assessment of operational and clinical pharmacy services exist. However, such tools are not currently available to justify medication safety pharmacy services. The purpose of this study is to determine methods used to assess, allocate, and justify medication safety resources in pediatric hospitals. METHODS: A 32-question survey was designed and distributed utilizing the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool. The survey was disseminated to 46 pediatric hospitals affiliated with the Children's Hospital Association (CHA). The survey was distributed in October 2018, and the respondents were given 3 weeks to submit responses. Data analysis includes the use of descriptive statistics. Categorical variables were summarized by frequencies and percentages to distinguish the differences between pediatric health systems. RESULTS: Of 26 respondents, 15.4% utilized metrics to justify medication safety resources. Metrics utilized were based on medication dispenses, projects, and error coding. Twenty-three percent of respondents were dissatisfied with current pharmacy-based medication safety resources within the organization. There was variability of medication safety resources within pediatric hospitals, including the number of dedicated full-time equivalents, time spent on tasks, and task prioritization. CONCLUSION: Assessing medication safety resources at various pediatric hospitals highlights several potential barriers and opportunities. This information will serve as the foundation for the creation of a standardized workload assessment tool to assist pharmacy leaders with additional resource justification.