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Reducing unacceptable missed doses: pharmacy assistant-supported medicine administration
Wasim Baqir1, Kate Jones1, William Horsley2
1Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Pharmacy, North Tyneside Hospital, North Shields, UK.
The International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
|January 29, 2015
Summary
Pharmacy assistants significantly reduced omitted medication doses in hospital inpatients. This intervention offers a promising solution to improve patient safety and medication adherence.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare quality improvement
- Patient safety research
- Medication administration studies
Background:
- Omitted and delayed medications pose significant risks to hospital inpatients, as identified by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).
- Despite known risks, interventions to prevent omitted doses are infrequently studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacy assistants (PAs) in supporting medication administration rounds.
- To determine the impact of PA support on the incidence of omitted medication doses in hospital inpatients.
Main Methods:
- A stratified random sampling approach was used to select intervention and control wards.
- Pharmacy assistants were trained to assist nurses during medication administration.
- Three study groups were defined: PA-supported administration (A), intra-ward control (B), and inter-ward control (C).
- Primary outcome: unacceptable omitted doses (UODs) in group A versus C. Secondary outcomes: critical UODs (cUODs) across all groups and UODs in group B versus A and C.
Main Results:
- The overall rate of patients with at least one UOD was 12.4%.
- The intervention group (A) had a significantly lower proportion of patients with UODs (1.1%) compared to the control group (C) (18.5%).
- Critical omitted doses (cUODs) were also significantly reduced in the intervention group (1.1%) compared to the control group (7.4%).
Conclusions:
- Pharmacy assistant-supported medication rounds are effective in substantially reducing omitted medication doses.
- This intervention presents a viable strategy to mitigate the risks associated with omitted doses in hospital settings.
- Implementing PA support in medication rounds can enhance patient safety and medication delivery accuracy.
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