Clinical pharmacy services: Part II--the issues.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Clinical pharmacy programs have undergone rapid development, leading to diverse pharmacist roles and varied professional experiences.
• The broad scope of clinical activities contributes to both the successes and challenges within the field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation and impact of clinical pharmacy activities at Sunnybrook.
• To highlight methods for documenting pharmacist achievements and enhancing hospital pharmacy visibility.
• To address the challenges in evaluating the clinical impact of pharmacy services.

Main Methods:

• Liaison pharmacists focused on departmentally prioritized clinical activities, separate from drug distribution.
• Documentation systems were established to track patient counseling, adverse reaction reporting, and drug information services.
• A Pharmacy Services Brochure was developed to inform inpatients about available programs.

Main Results:

• Prioritized clinical activities provided clear endpoints for staff and administration.
• Documentation efforts visualized achievements in patient counseling and drug information.
• The brochure enhanced patient awareness of pharmacy services.

Conclusions:

• Defining and documenting clinical pharmacy activities is essential for demonstrating value and addressing professional challenges.
• Effective communication strategies, like patient brochures, can improve public perception of hospital pharmacy.
• Evaluating the clinical impact requires robust quality assurance programs to prove improved patient care.