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Updated: May 27, 2026
06:59
A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
Published on: November 9, 2016
Evaluating and classifying pharmacists' quality interventions in the emergency department
Anisa M Abu-Ramaileh1, Rita Shane, William Churchill
1Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. anisa.abu-ramaileh@cshs.org
Summary
Emergency department pharmacists frequently make interventions that enhance medication quality and adherence to evidence-based medicine. These quality interventions (QIs) improve patient care and safety in acute settings.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy practice
- Health services research
- Quality improvement
Background:
- Pharmacists play a crucial role in optimizing medication use.
- The emergency department (ED) is a critical setting for identifying medication-related issues.
- Evaluating the impact of pharmacist interventions is essential for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of pharmacists' medication-related interventions on the quality of care in the emergency department (ED).
- To identify and categorize "quality interventions" (QIs) made by ED pharmacists.
- To determine the medication classes most frequently associated with QIs and their acceptance rate.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 130 pharmacist interventions from a previous observational study at four academic medical centers.
- Trained reviewers identified QIs based on preventing medication misuse, underuse, or overuse, or improving adherence to quality standards/evidence-based medicine (EBM).
- Evaluation of medication classes involved in QIs and the acceptance rate of pharmacist recommendations.
Main Results:
- A total of 91 QIs were identified (2.3 QIs per 100 patients).
- Approximately 45% of QIs improved adherence to EBM or national quality standards; others addressed underuse (34%), misuse (14%), or overuse (6%).
- Antiinfective agents, cardiovascular agents, and anticoagulants/thrombolytics were the most common medication classes for QIs, with an overall acceptance rate of 93.4%.
Conclusions:
- ED pharmacists frequently recommend interventions that enhance medication quality.
- These interventions significantly improve adherence to evidence-based medicine and national quality standards.
- Pharmacist-led quality improvement initiatives are valuable in the emergency department setting.
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