Transcript Description of Clinical Site: PACE

In Which Areas Have Clinical
Pharmacists Been the Most Successful in
Patient Care ?
• Hospital inpatient unit (wards)
– Therapeutic drug monitoring
– Anticoagulation services
– IV antibiotic usage
• Establishing collaborative drug protocols
– Prescriber authorizes pharmacists to engage in specified
activities including adjusting and/or initiation therapy
– Examples
• Anticoagulation
• Smoking cessation
Nutrition support services
Pain management
In Which Areas Have Clinical
Pharmacists Been the Most Successful in
Patient Care ?
• Community pharmacists
– Administering immunizations
– Dispensing emergency contraception
How Were Health Care Providers/Authorities
Convinced to Increase Pharmacist
Involvement?
• Key steps
– Decentralization of pharmacy services to
patient care areas (out of basement!)
– Developing relationships and building trust
between pharmacists and prescribers
• Demonstration of reduced drug and overall
costs and better clinical outcomes with
pharmacist involvement
Main Difficulties?
• Lack of standardization of pharmacist training
• Lack of reimbursement for services
• Buy-in from healthcare administration
– Lack of awareness of range of services pharmacists can
provide
• Pharmacist perceptions of their professional role
• Competition with other non-physician prescribers
– e.g. nurse practitioners, physician assistants