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LET’S DIVERSIFY TO GUARANTEE ACCESS TO THE HOSPITAL PHARMACIST’S EXPERTISE: ALL GOOD THINGS COME IN FOURS!

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European Statement

Clinical Pharmacy Services

Author(s)

Maria Kundracikova, Petra Pölzleitner, Katharina Ocko, Bernadette Aretin, Barbara Datterl, Klara Jadrna, Eva-Luise Hobl, Martin Holbik, Sonja Steininger-Salmer, Helga Fend, Gerda Laml-Wallner, Martina Anditsch, Gunar Stemer

Why was it done?

Due to limited human ressources (8 FTE) in the medicines information and clinical pharmacy department only selected wards could be provided with daily clinical pharmacists’ presence offering medication review, patient discharge counselling and ward round participation. To expand the reach of our clinical services, two further service pillars were introduced complementing the already existing services.

What was done?

The Vienna General Hospital is a 1900 bed university hospital in which patients and health care professionals have access to hospital pharmacists’ expertise via various channels. In addition to already existing services (i.e. provision of hospital-wide medicines information and clinical pharmacy services on particularly selected wards) two new services (i.e. e-pharmacy consult and a dedicated drug interactions and pharmacotherapy clinic) have recently been implemented.

How was it done?

As ward services are staff-intensive, alternatives to expand the access of patients and health care professionals to the hospital pharmacists’ expertise were examined. An e-pharmacy consult was designed, implemented, and promoted in collaboration with the hospital IT department. E-consults can electronically be requested by all wards (e.g. for medication review, patient counselling), but mainly aim at those areas which are not regularly covered by a clinical pharmacist. E-consults are executed by the medicines information pharmacist on duty. Recently, a special clinic was implemented as a collaborative project with the clinical pharmacology department addressing the specific medicines-related needs of patients with complex medication regimens.

What has been achieved?

The scope of services provided by the department currently comprises four pillars: (1) provision of medicines information (2016: 1.200 requests), (2) clinical pharmacy services (2016: 9.000 medication-related problems prevented), (3) pharmacy e-consults, and (4) the drug interactions and pharmacotherapy clinic. While the scope and reach of services was expanded by diversification, the two new services are operated with existing ressources after reassignment of tasks.

What next?

After the implementation of new services (i.e. e-consult, clinic) constant promotion is needed to increase the awareness level among health care professionals in the hospital. Quality assurance and continuity of service provision is crucial for acceptance.

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