[Drug therapy follow-up in patients admitted to a Surgery Department]

Patients admitted to surgery departments receive multiple drugs before, during and after surgical procedures. Anti-infectious therapy, anesthetics, anti-embolic agents, and analgesics stand out amongst others. Our objective was to implement pharmacotherapeutic follow-up as a means to detect, prevent, and solve medication-related problems (MRPs) in inpatients, and to establish consensus strategies to solve avoidable MRPs.

An observational prospective study of 22 patients hospitalized in a Surgery Department, Hospital Infanta Margarita, Cabra (Córdoba) was conducted. Dader methodology was adapted for drug therapy follow-up in the hospital setting.

In all, 108 MRPs were detected; 22.04% were associated with medication needs (MRP1:13.6% and MRP2: 8.5%), 40.68% with ineffectiveness (MRP3: 22.0% and MRP4: 18.6%), and 37.28% with lack of safety (MRP5: 10.2% and MRP6: 27.1%). Out of 108 MRPs found, 64 (59.3%) were avoidable; 97 pharmaceutical interventions were carried out (89.8% of cases), acting in 63 (58%) MRPs detected in cooperation with physicians, while 46 MRPs were solved (42%). We found 1 MRP in each 2.6 patients -- admission days, and 1 MRP per 4.5 patients -- admission days occurred after pharmaceutical intervention during the study period.

The use of pharmacotherapeutic follow-up in patients admitted to this department has improved the quality of health care.