National Survey of Clinical Pharmacy Services and Pharmacy Technician Roles for Subacute Aged‐Care Inpatients

Elliott, Rohan A; Perera, Dhineli; O’Leary, Karen

doi:10.1002/j.2055-2335.2012.tb00149.x

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Pharmacists’ contributions to patient care included providing drug information to medical and nursing staff, obtaining patient medication histories and reviewing medication regimens, delivering patient education and inpatient self‐administration of medication programs, and developing policies and guidelines to improve medication use . By 2011 most hospitals in Australia were providing at least a basic clinical pharmacy service to their geriatric wards, although some provided minimal or inconsistent service …”

Section: Development Of Geriatric Pharmacy Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Geriatric medicine and pharmacy practice: a historical perspective

Elliott

2016

Pharmacy Practice and Res

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Modern geriatric medicine evolved in Britain between the 1930s and 1970s. In Australia, the first comprehensive geriatric service was described in the 1950s. However, it was not until the 1980s that geriatric medicine began to gain widespread acceptance as a medical specialty. There has been a slow but steady growth in geriatric services in most developed countries since that time, and more recently in developing nations. Various models of geriatric medical care have been developed, including geriatrician‐led geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) services and shared‐care services such as orthogeriatrics. The number of older people, often with multiple comorbidities and geriatric syndromes, seen in most areas of medical and surgical practice has risen significantly over recent decades, and as a result some of the principles of geriatric medicine, in particular ‘comprehensive geriatric assessment’, have been adopted outside of specialist geriatric services, including the primary care setting. Managing and preventing iatrogenic disease and polypharmacy became an important element of geriatric medicine as the range of therapeutic drugs grew and life expectancy and multi‐morbidity increased. Geriatric pharmacy practice evolved in the mid‐1970s in the USA, and the 1980s–1990s in other developed countries. It was recognised as a specialty with the introduction of the Certified Geriatric Pharmacist credential in 1997. This paper describes the evolution of the principles and practice of geriatric medicine and pharmacy practice.

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Section: Development Of Geriatric Pharmacy Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Geriatric medicine and pharmacy practice: a historical perspective

Elliott

2016

Pharmacy Practice and Res

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“…Pharmacists’ ability to provide clinical pharmacy services for subacute patients is often limited by inadequate pharmacist to patient ratios, and inadequate assistance with non‐clinical or technical tasks. Therefore, clinical pharmacy services may be provided to a limited number of patients, or not provided at all . Heavy workloads and inadequate technical support may also be associated with poor job satisfaction and burnout for hospital pharmacists .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although clinical pharmacy services provided in subacute wards are similar to those provided in acute‐care settings, there are differences. For example, most patients are transferred from an acute hospital rather than admitted from home, and programs designed to assess and enhance patients’ ability to manage their medications, such as SAMPs, are common …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, clinical pharmacy services may be provided to a limited number of patients, or not provided at all. 12 Heavy workloads and inadequate technical support may also be associated with poor job satisfaction and burnout for hospital pharmacists. [13][14][15] Providing technical support to enable pharmacists to focus on patient-care tasks may improve job satisfaction and staff retention, and improve patient care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, most patients are transferred from an acute hospital rather than admitted from home, and programs designed to assess and enhance patients' ability to manage their medications, such as SAMPs, are common. 12 As part of the Health Workforce Australia 'Caring for Older People' workforce innovation and redesign program, we developed an expanded ward pharmacy technician (WPT) role within a subacute aged care service. This paper describes an evaluation of the impact of the expanded WPT role on the pharmacy workforce, delivery of pharmacy services and staff and patient satisfaction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of an expanded ward pharmacy technician role on service-delivery and workforce outcomes in a subacute aged care service

et al. 2014

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Background Ward pharmacy technicians (WPTs) support hospital pharmacists in the provision of clinical pharmacy services, however they are under‐utilised in Australia. Aim To evaluate the impact of an expanded WPT role within a 56‐bed subacute aged care inpatient service. Method The expanded WPT role included increased hours (from approximately 15.2 to 38 h/week) and an expanded scope of practice. WPT tasks included: assisting with individual patient medication supply, screening medication charts for changes, assisting with medication reconciliation and recording laboratory data for review by the pharmacist. The impact of the redesigned role on workforce and service‐delivery outcomes was evaluated in a prospective before–after study. Data were collected using self‐report, time‐and‐motion studies, dispensing reports and surveys. Results WPT assistance with individual patient medication supply increased from <60% to >80%. In the new workforce model, the WPT assisted with medication reconciliation and recording laboratory data on admission for more than 80% patients. The proportion of pharmacist time spent on clinical tasks increased from 58.0% to 73.9% (p < 0.0001), and unpaid pharmacist overtime fell from a median of 58.4 to 13.4 min/day (p < 0.0001). The median number of pharmacist interventions to resolve medication‐related problems increased from 4 to 9/day (p < 0.0001), and interventions were made earlier in the admission. There were improvements in ward staff satisfaction with some aspects of the pharmacy service, and in the pharmacist's and WPT’s satisfaction with their roles. Conclusion An expanded WPT role improved clinical pharmacy service‐delivery, staff satisfaction and patient care.

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Perceptions of hospital pharmacists and pharmacy technicians towards expanding roles for hospital pharmacy technicians: a cross‐sectional survey

Anderson

Carroll

Taylor

et al. 2020

Pharmacy Practice and Res

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Background The “Pharmacy Technician and Assistant Role Redesign within Australian Hospitals Project” outcomes were released in November 2016. Aim To assess pharmacy staff attitudes towards expanded hospital pharmacy technician (HPT) roles in a Victorian metropolitan teaching hospital. Method An electronic questionnaire circulated to all pharmacists, interns and HPTs remained open for 4 weeks during September 2018. Questions focused on three key domains: HPT involvement in final accuracy checking of inpatient supplies and manufactured items, drugs of addiction (DA) management and clinical support roles. The hospital's Office for Research deemed the study a quality improvement activity. Results The questionnaire was undertaken by 61 of 122 (50%) pharmacy staff. Fewer than 10% of respondents believed that HPTs are adequately used in current practice. Final accuracy checking technicians for inpatient medication supplies was supported by 82% of respondents. HPTs signing entries into dispensary DA registers for discharge and outpatient prescriptions was supported by 81% of respondents. Best possible medication history taking conducted by an HPT was supported by 52% of respondents, but support differed between pharmacists and HPTs, with 38 and 92% supportive, respectively (p < 0.01). Forty percent of respondents supported HPT involvement in patient medication counselling. Key themes identified from qualitative data included: the need for clarification of legal and indemnity issues, training and credentialing and professional attributes for expanded HPT roles. Conclusion These findings are informing HPT role expansion within the pharmacy department and have identified potential barriers to change. Such findings may be useful to pharmacy departments undertaking similar role redesign work.

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National Survey of Clinical Pharmacy Services and Pharmacy Technician Roles for Subacute Aged‐Care Inpatients

Cited by 5 publications

References 20 publications

Geriatric medicine and pharmacy practice: a historical perspective

Geriatric medicine and pharmacy practice: a historical perspective

Impact of an expanded ward pharmacy technician role on service-delivery and workforce outcomes in a subacute aged care service

Perceptions of hospital pharmacists and pharmacy technicians towards expanding roles for hospital pharmacy technicians: a cross‐sectional survey

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