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INT-006 Optimisation of a pharmaceutical service through continuous evaluation and adaption
  1. C Bülow1,
  2. KU Faerch1,
  3. C Dinsen-Andersen1,
  4. HB Armandi1,
  5. DV Tomsen2
  1. 1The Pharmacy of Capital Region, Bispebjerg Hospital, Denmark
  2. 2The Pharmacy of Capital Region, North Zealand Hospitals, Hillerød, Denmark

Abstract

Background Since January 2013 clinical pharmacists have conducted medication history and review (pharmacist notes) in the Emergency Department (ED) at Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen. Inclusion criteria are patients over 50 years using ≥5 drugs. The aim of the service is to identify drug-related problems, increase patient safety and contribute to a safer medication process.

The pharmaceutical service has been adopted from another hospital. In order to ensure optimal use of the service, it is continuously being evaluated and adapted.

Purpose The purpose is to optimise the pharmaceutical service through continuous evaluation and adaption.

Material and methods The data consists of pharmacist notes compiled in 2014, lists of patients admitted to the ED, a daily logbook and physician’s medical records.

  • Monthly analysis of approximately 15% of the produced pharmacist notes. The notes are compared with the physician’s prescriptions to establish the application rate.

  • The efficiency is calculated from the number of compiled pharmacist notes in relation to the number of patients over 50 years admitted to the ED.

Adaption:

  • Assessment of the changes in the process: The Model for Improvement is applied. Dates of any changes relevant for the pharmaceutical service (i.e. changes in structure of pharmacist notes, organisational changes in the department) is correlated to the application rate and number of compiled pharmacist notes, to assess the influence of the amendments to the pharmaceutical services.

Results The application rate increased from 70% to 79% from January to July 2014.

The efficiency increased from 46% in week 1 to 75% in week 31 in 2014.

Conclusion By continuous evaluation and adaption, the pharmacist increased the application rate and the efficiency; thereby ensure continuous improvement of patient safety in the ED.

References and/or acknowledgements No conflict of interest.

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