Residents and Fellows Research in Progress
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
08:30 AM–10:00 AM
Abstract
Introduction:
Pharmacists enhance hospital patient care through comprehensive medication management and by serving as drug information experts. Pharmacists educate patients on new medications at discharge and provide clinical recommendations to physicians, improving patient care in hospital settings. The positive impact of clinical pharmacists in acute care settings has been demonstrated by two large systematic reviews, showing favorable effects on therapeutic and safety outcomes. Specific studies highlight the value of pharmacist interventions: Zheng et al. found that pharmacist-led discharge medication reconciliation identified 1.3 medication errors per patient, avoiding $24,784 in costs over 4 weeks for an internal medicine team. Khan et al. observed that clinical pharmacists reviewed 373 patients, identified 147 medication-related problems, made 161 recommendations, and successfully resolved 86% of patient issues. Grady Health System (GHS) is an urban academic medical center in Atlanta, GA. Quantifying the impact of pharmacist interventions is crucial for optimizing patient care and potentially expanding pharmacy services.
Research Question or Hypothesis: To evaluate and quantify pharmacist interventions on an acute care unit
Study Design: Retrospective single-center chart review of patients admitted to a specific acute care unit (4B) at GHS
Methods: Patients admitted to unit 4B from April 1, 2024, to June 5, 2024, were included if they had a pharmacist intervention documented. The primary outcome is the average number of pharmacist interventions per patient per day. Secondary outcomes include medication optimization categories, safety associated events, the number of patients with interventions, the number of total interventions and categorization of high-risk medications. Statistical analysis will be performed using chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests.
Results: Data collection still on-going
Conclusion: Data collection still on-going
Presenting Author
Jamarius Carvin PharmDGrady Health System
Authors