Drug-related problems identified during pharmacy intervention and
consultation: Implementation of an intensive care unit pharmaceutical
care model
Abstract
Aim To identify common drug-related problems (DRPs) during
pharmaceutical intervention and consultation in an intensive care unit
(ICU); to explore the gap between physicians and pharmacists on their
understanding of each other’s capabilities and needs. Method A
single-center prospective study was conducted in the ICU of a tertiary
academic hospital for 21 months. A pharmaceutical care (PC) model was
implemented by pharmacy care team, and data was collected during
pharmaceutical intervention and consultation. Data analysis was
performed on identified DRPs, causes and their relationships. DRPs’
frequency during intervention and consultation was compared.
Problem-level descriptive analysis and network analysis were conducted
using R 3.6.3. Result Implementation of PC model greatly improved the
efficacy of pharmacists in both interventions proposed to solve DRPs
(from 13.6 to 20.1 cases per month) and number of patients being closely
monitored (from 7.7 to 16.9 per month). Pharmacists identified 427 DRPs
during pharmaceutical intervention with primarily adverse drug events
(ADEs, 34.7%) and effect of treatment not optimal (25.5%), and 245
DRPs during consultation (mainly ADEs, 58.4%). About three-fifths DRPs
were caused by antibiotics. Comparing DRPs identified during
pharmaceutical intervention and consultation, physicians consulted
pharmacists more on questions related to medication safety, while
pharmacists also paid attention to treatment effectiveness being
consulted less commonly. Conclusion Implementation of PC model is
beneficial in guiding pharmacy practice and improving efficacy
especially under limited human resources. Physicians and pharmacists
shall continue ensuring drug safety and be familiar with the scope of PC
and clinical need for a better cooperation.