Objective: Hospital pharmacy is undergoing a period of rapid change, with pharmacists needing to focus where they add most value. Our aim was to identify where pharmacists have potential for greatest impact by analysing data on clinically relevant medication-related problems (MRPs).
Methods: We included consecutive admissions from adult medical wards at two UK hospitals between April and November 2016. MRPs were identified by pharmacists at the study sites as part of their routine daily patient assessments, validated and assessed for preventability and severity. Descriptive analyses were performed on clinically relevant (moderate or severe preventable) MRPs to establish the stage of inpatient stay where identified and their types/categories (overall and by stage of inpatient stay).
Key findings: Among 1503 eligible admissions, 2614 validated MRPs were identified, of which 1153 were moderate or severe, and preventable. Over 70% of these clinically relevant MRPs were identified during/before the first ward-based pharmacy review of patients. The most frequent MRP subcategory was 'indication not treated/missing therapy', accounting for 46% of clinically relevant MRPs. Dose selection issues were the next most common, accounting for 24%. The subcategory 'indication not treated/missing therapy' was identified more frequently at admission and discharge (53% and 45% of MRPs, respectively) compared with during the inpatient stay (14%), P < 0.001.
Conclusions: This research suggests patients are at greatest need of pharmacist input in terms of identification/resolution of clinically relevant MRPs during early stages of inpatient stay; however, clinically relevant MRPs continue to occur throughout their stay, suggesting need for ongoing pharmacy review.
Keywords: clinical pharmacy < clinical practice; management; medication review < drug utilisation; medication risk < patient safety; observation < research method; pharmaceutical care < medicines; secondary care < delivery of care.
© 2020 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.