Evaluation of nutrition support pharmacist interventions

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Nutrition Support
• Healthcare Interventions

Background:

• Nutrition support services (NSS) involve pharmacists in patient care.
• Pharmacist interventions extend beyond direct formula prescription.
• Understanding the scope of pharmacist contributions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and categorize non-formula-related interventions by NSS pharmacists.
• To assess the acceptance rates of these pharmacist-led interventions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult pharmacy NSS consultations from 2011.
• Categorization of interventions into 10 predefined types.
• Evaluation of intervention acceptance and denial rates.

Main Results:

• 132 consults yielded 383 interventions with an 84% overall acceptance rate.
• Top accepted interventions: general laboratory monitoring (96%), fluids/electrolytes (96%), and 'other' (100%).
• Most denied interventions: dose adjustment (60%), diagnostics (50%), and adding medication (22%).

Conclusions:

• Pharmacists on NSS teams provide critical, diverse interventions.
• These interventions highlight the pharmacist's unique knowledge and value.
• Pharmacist involvement enhances comprehensive patient management.