A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO TAILOR MADE NUTRITION
European Statement
Clinical Pharmacy Services
Author(s)
G.A. Vairani, B. Faitelli, B. Crivelli, F. Pieri
Why was it done?
An appropriate nutrition is a therapeutic intervention that improves clinical outcomes for each patient by reducing or preventing complications such as pressure ulcers and infections. The goal of the Hospital Pharmacy is to provide therapeutic monitoring for all nutritional therapies prescribed in the hospital and to support the optimization of pharmacological therapies associated with the specific nutrition plan. The formulary provides Physicians and Dietitians a view of the dietary products available in the hospital, allowing them to select the most suitable product based on the patient’s clinical condition. The structured request form is a valuable tool to verify that there are no pharmacological interactions between the chosen dietary product and the patient’s ongoing medications. Furthermore, it ensures that a dietitian is consulted for every prescription.
What was done?
A multidisciplinary team was established, including Dietitians, Hospital pharmacists, and Physicians, to ensure adequate and safe nutritional support for each patient. The hospital pharmacy developed a formulary of available dietary products categorized into parenteral nutrition, enteral nutrition, and oral nutrition supplements. Additionally, a customized request form for nutritional products was created. After the approval of dietitians, hospital pharmacists can proceed with dispensing, ensuring controlled distribution to hospital departments.
How was it done?
The Hospital Pharmacy first consulted with dietitians to add or remove specific dietary products from the Therapeutic Formulary, based on the most frequently treated pathologies and clinical cases. Once the products to be stocked were defined, a manual was created, listing the names, nutrient types, and administration methods for each dietary product.
For the structured request, the mandatory fields to be filled in are: patient’s identity , dietary product, dosage and duration of treatment and the dietitian’s signature.
What has been achieved?
The structured request form and the Dietary Products Manual allowed us to have a comprehensive overview of the number of patients treated with a specific dietary product and to monitor prescriptions in general, ensuring the best possible clinical outcome.
What next?
The Hospital Pharmacy will organize training days with dietitians on the selection of the most appropriate dietary product for each patient, as well as the correct handling and administration of these products.