The contribution of a pharmacy admissions service to patient care

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of two specialised admissions pharmacists on an acute medical admissions ward. For a one-week period, contributions made to the medical post-take ward round (PTWR), the number of drug histories taken and interventions made as a result, and the availability of medication needed on discharge were documented. An average of 1.1 contributions per patient were made on the PTWR; a large proportion of these concerned therapeutic choice. Pharmacists also intervened to stop medication due to adverse drug reactions in 12% (n=10) of contributions. Fifty-two drug histories were checked by a pharmacist, resulting in 61 interventions (1.1 interventions per patient). The majority of interventions resulted from the unintentional omission of a regular medication (65%, n=39). Only 24% (n=29) of items needed on discharge had to be dispensed in pharmacy and 33% (n=41) were available as patients' own drugs.