Medication safety in the hospital setting - role and tools for the Swiss hospital pharmacist

摘要: The role of Swiss hospital pharmacists has changed substantially over the last decade. In past, the pharmacist’s responsibility centered upon timely dispensing and delivery medication. However, at the present time, pharmacist is involved as a critical partner in entire medication use process, focusing on safe effective use drugs. The aims this work are to 1) Describe pharmacists’ perceptions their current and future safety 2) Identify efficient tools allow proactively address safety. 1) Survey activities hospitals: pharmacist A structured online survey was sent all 41 pharmacy directors assess current medication activities. The 26 respondents (response rate 62%) employed an average 0.76 full-time employees per 100 beds (European average: 1 employee per beds). are participating & therapeutics committee meetings (23/26 hospitals, 88%) providing pharmacovigilance (12/26, 46%). Clinical services offered 25/26 institutions (96%) Other identified among 22 participants included implementation eHealth (11/22 hospitals, 50%) increase clinical (4/22, 18%). Tools most likely used 24 respondants were direct observation (23/24, 96%), incident reporting system (20/24, 83%), chart review (16/23, 67%). Surveys (7/24, 29%) analysis MedWatch data (8/26, 33%) less often utilized. Of respondents, 38% (9/24) not familiar with trigger tool technology. 2) Medication assessment methods: How can efficiently address drug-related problems? Organizations, including Institute for Safe Practice, recommend different methods the assessment safety, (IR), observation (OB), review (CH) (TR). optimal method identifying drug-related problems (DRPs) unknown. Pubmed, Embase Scopus databases systematically searched any comparative study in which IR, OB, CH TR compared one another. Twenty-eight studies this review. All four techniques have strengths weaknesses. Overlap between different methods DRPs minimal. While appears be labor-efficient method, IR best identifies high severity DRPs. Considering lack overlap ability each method identify errors, combination methodologies strongly recommended. Different examples applying recommended provided. Although staff resources limited, our showed that proactively participating activities. Several available like effective, labor-efficient approach assessment. With physicians increasingly drugs the discipline pharmacology also hands physicians, comprehensive safety assessment potentially creates important professional opportunities in Switzerland.