Justification for a pharmacy-coordinated I.V. therapy team

This article presents the necessary procedures and justification for the approval of a pharmacy-coordinated. I.V. therapy team. The article is based on a thorough literature search. Justification of the I.V. therapy team is divided into the benefits for the patient, the hospital, and the financial implications. The primary patient care benefits result from specialization, education, and a reduction of I.V.-related complications. Benefits to the hospital include increased efficiency in the delivery of I.V. therapy, improved communication, decreased liability, and improved patient care. The costs will vary depending on the level of service provided and the type of personnel required to implement the program. A portion of the cost may be offset by a savings in nursing time, decreased inventory, greater accountability, decreased waste and accurate charging of I.V. solutions and equipment. A multidisciplinary I.V. committee must be responsible for the development and evaluation of I.V. therapy team.