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A new approach on assessing clinical pharmacists' impact on prescribing errors in a surgical intensive care unit.

ABSTRACT: Background With a clinical pharmacists' participation in an intensive care unit (ICU) previous international studies have shown a reduction of medication errors, drug costs and improvements of clinical outcomes. Still there is a lack of qualitative data on clinical pharmacists' impact on prescribing error rates in the ICU. Therefore, a new approach was developed relating prescribing errors to the number of monitored medications including physicians' approval on all prescribing errors. Objective This study investigates the influence of clinical pharmacists' medication review on the prescribing error rate in an ICU. Setting A controlled interventional study was conducted in a surgical ICU with one control phase (P0) and two intervention phases (P1 and P2). Method The investigation aimed to determine if the medication review by clinical pharmacists results in a significant reduction of prescribing errors related to a control period. In contrast to previous studies, prescribing errors detected by the clinical pharmacists, were only taken into account, if consent with the physicians was achieved. Secondary outcomes were the reduction of potentially severe prescribing errors, the number of days without systemic anti-infective therapy and the ICU length of stay. Throughout P0 the data was collected retrospectively without any intervention. During the intervention periods P1 and P2, two clinical pharmacists screened the medical records for prescribing errors and discussed them with the senior physician in charge. During P2 one clinical pharmacist attended ward rounds additionally. Main Outcome Measure The main outcome measure of this study was the number of prescribing errors detected related to the number of monitored medications. Results The incidence of prescribing errors was significantly reduced from 1660 in P0 to 622 in P1 respectively 401 in P2 (P0 vs. P1/P2 respectively; both p < 0.001; Fisher's Exact Test) in total, respective 14.12% in P0 vs. 5.13% in P1 and 3.25% in P2 related to the monitored medications (P0:11755; P1:12134; P2:12329). Conclusion Clinical pharmacists' interventions led to a significant reduction of prescribing errors in the ICU, contributing to a safer medication process. We strongly recommend a broad implementation of clinical pharmacists in ICUs.

SUBMITTER: Kessemeier N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6800837 | biostudies-other | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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A new approach on assessing clinical pharmacists' impact on prescribing errors in a surgical intensive care unit.

Kessemeier Nora N Meyn Damaris D Hoeckel Michael M Reitze Joerg J Culmsee Carsten C Tryba Michael M

International journal of clinical pharmacy 20190722 5

Background With a clinical pharmacists' participation in an intensive care unit (ICU) previous international studies have shown a reduction of medication errors, drug costs and improvements of clinical outcomes. Still there is a lack of qualitative data on clinical pharmacists' impact on prescribing error rates in the ICU. Therefore, a new approach was developed relating prescribing errors to the number of monitored medications including physicians' approval on all prescribing errors. Objective ...[more]

PMID: 31332648

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Project description:ImportanceHigh health care costs encourage initiatives that avoid overuse of resources and identify opportunities to promote appropriate care.ObjectiveTo investigate the causes of potentially avoidable surgical intensive care unit (SICU) admissions and disposition delays to determine whether targeted interventions could decrease these stays.Design, setting, and participantsThis prospective, observational study focused on potentially avoidable SICU days, as determined by observers with input from the rounding intensivists at a 24-bed open SICU at an urban, academic hospital. The preintervention phase occurred from April 6 through June 21, 2015; after implementation of targeted interventions, the postintervention phase occurred from April 4 through June 28, 2016. Data collected included demographic characteristics, reason for admission, and length of stay. All patients admitted to the SICU during the preintervention and postintervention phases were included in the analysis.InterventionsBased on results collected in the preintervention phase, targeted interventions were designed and implemented from July 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016, including (1) reducing SICU care for minor traumatic brain injury, (2) optimizing postoperative airway management, (3) enhancing communication between services regarding transfers to the SICU, (4) identifying and facilitating more timely end-of-life conversations and supportive care consultations, and (5) encouraging early disposition of patients to floor beds.Main outcomes and measuresChanges in the proportion of potentially avoidable SICU days owing to potentially avoidable admissions and/or disposition delays.ResultsA total of 459 patients (253 men [55.1%] and 206 women [44.9%]; median age, 62 years [interquartile range, 46-75 years]) were admitted during the preintervention and postintervention phases. Of 261 patients admitted during the preintervention period and 245 during the postintervention period, median SICU and hospital length of stay remained unchanged. A reduction was noted in the percentage of postintervention SICU days owing to potentially avoidable admissions (152 of 1168 days [13%] vs 118 of 1338 days [8.8%]; P?=?.001) and disposition delays (138 of 1168 days [11.8%] vs 97 of 1338 days [7.2%]; P?<?.001). During the postintervention period, decreases were noted in the SICU days related to the most common sources of potentially avoidable admissions (SICU stay ?24 hours, airway concerns, and somnolence) and disposition delays (end-of-life decisions and floor bed unavailable) as well as in the overall rate of potentially avoidable days (269 of 1168 days [23%] vs 205 of 1338 days [15.3%]; P?<?.001).Conclusions and relevanceNearly one-fourth of SICU days could be categorized as potentially avoidable. Targeted interventions resulted in a significant reduction of potentially avoidable SICU days.

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A new approach on assessing clinical pharmacists' impact on prescribing errors in a surgical intensive care unit.

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A new approach on assessing clinical pharmacists' impact on prescribing errors in a surgical intensive care unit.

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