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A state-of-the-art on medical devices in Italian clinical pharmacy practice: results from the Italian Society of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics (SIFaCT) survey

European Statement

Clinical Pharmacy Services

Author(s)

Lorenzo Di Spazio, Daniele Mengato, Andrea Ossato, Vera Damuzzo, Marco Chiumente, Giulia Dusi, Sabrina Trippoli, Andrea Messori, Maria Cecilia Giron, Maria Chiara Silvani, Francesca Venturini

Why was it done?

Pharmacist’s activities on MDs are mainly linked to governance, management and vigilance but little to clinical pharmacy practice. In order to study and develop interventions aimed at optimizing the use and compliance of medical devices on patients, a national survey was conducted to identify the clinical pharmacy experiences already consolidated in this field.

What was done?

Clinical pharmacy activities that demand specialized expertise in medical devices (MD) constitute a relatively uncharted territory for hospital pharmacists. Our aim, through a nationwide survey, was to delineate the clinical responsibilities overseen and handled by hospital pharmacists that necessitate a specific focus on MDs.

How was it done?

A 54-question survey, available from 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2022, was created by a pool of experts from an Italian scientific society (Italian Society of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics – SIFaCT) and shared through Google Forms. The questions, divided into six sections, were related to five clinical areas defined by the working group: surgery room (SR), wound care (WC), vascular access management (VAM), patient education on diabetes treatment technologies (DTT) and MD in oncology and artificial nutrition (ON).
The questionnaire allowed us to define the state-of-the-art of clinical pharmacy on MDs, highlighting the activities and training needs of the participants.

What has been achieved?

We received 142 responses. In particular, emerged that 42% of participants adopted standard kits in the SR and 76% of them declared the pharmacist involvement.
A specific team for WC was created for 35% of participants, with the involvement of the pharmacist in 90% of cases, in particular as consultant role in 22%.
37% of participants declared the presence of a team dedicated to VAM, with the involvement of the pharmacist in 40% of cases and patient counselling in 9%. Finally, in DTT and ON the pharmacist was involved in 8% and 10% of the responses, respectively.

What next?

This first national survey shows that the pharmacist is often involved in multidisciplinary groups in the five analyzed areas, but less involved in patient’s counselling probably due to the sub-optimal training in the field of MDs. Indeed, almost all the participants declared the need to improve their knowledge in this field and create a network among colleagues.

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