Value of pharmacy services upon admission to an orthopedic surgery unit

Abstract

Background In Lebanon, the role of the pharmacist remains underestimated in the medication reconciliation process, especially in surgical departments. This study aims to assess the impact of pharmacist-conducted medication reconciliation performed within 48 h of hospital admission to the orthopedic surgical department. Methods This was a prospective single-arm study conducted in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Lebanon between October 2019 and April 2020. Participants were adult inpatients hospitalized for orthopedic surgeries with ≥ 1 outpatient medications. Properly trained pharmacy resident obtained the Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) and led the reconciliation process. The primary endpoint was the number of reconciliation errors (REs) identified. Descriptive statistics were used to report participants’ responses and relevant findings. Linear regression was performed with the number of REs as a continuous dependent variable using backward method. Results were assumed to be significant when p was < 0.05. Results The study included 100 patients with a mean age of 73.8 years, admitted for elective (54%) or emergency (46%) surgeries. Half of the study population had ≥ 5 home medications. The mean time for taking BPMH was around 8 min. A total of 110 REs were identified in 74 patient cases. The most common discrepancies consisted of medication omission (89.1%) and the most common medications involved were antihyperlipidemic agents. Twenty-four REs were judged as clinically significant, and four as serious. The most common interventions included the addition of a medication (71.9%). Most of the relayed interventions (84.5%) were accepted. The number of home medications was the only variable significantly associated with the number of REs (β 0.492; p < 0.001). Conclusion Pharmacy-led medication reconciliation upon admission to orthopedic surgery department can reduce reconciliation errors and improve medication safety. Trial registration Retrospectively registered in the Lebanon Clinical Trials Registry (LBCTR2020124680).

Medication reconciliation by pharmacists for pre-admission patients improves patient safety

“…Ouweini et al reported the impact of pharmacist-led MR within 48 h of orthopedic admission for surgical treatment [22], and found that 84.5% of interventions based on pharmacist-led MR were accepted by surgical residents and fellows. In contrast, in a prospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to the emergency department, pharmacist-led MR was conducted prior to the preparation of a physician's admission order.…”

A gyógyszerészi gondozás lehetőségei az ortopédiai gyakorlatba

“…A szabályzat értelmében a gyógyszerészek koordinálják a folyamatban résztvevő összes egészségügyi szakember multidiszciplináris oktatását. 40 Egy másik tanulmányban arra a következtetésre jutottak, hogy a klinikai gyógyszerészek teljesebb és pontosabb gyógyszeranamnézist készítenek, mint az ápolók, ami csökkentheti a fekvőbetegeknél a nemkívánatos gyógyszerhatások létrejöttét. Figyelembe véve, hogy az ortopédiai fekvőbetegek körében milyen gyakoriak a gyógyszerelési hibák, a klinikai gyógyszerészek által végzett gyógyszerészi gondozás fontos szerepet játszhat az ellátás javításában.…”

The specialized competency framework for community pharmacists (SCF-CP) in Lebanon: validation and evaluation of the revised version

“…As new technologies are added to therapeutic care, pharmacists must acquire new knowledge, skills, and behaviors to be able to apply new modalities to patient care [ 2 ]. Furthermore, pharmacists are no longer solely responsible for drug dispensing; they now play an essential role in community health and wellness through expanded services, such as educational counseling [ 3 ], medication safety [ 4 ], and medication reconciliation and management [ 5 , 6 ].…”