A Canadian Survey of Pharmacist Participation during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

The participation of pharmacists on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) teams has been associated with improvements in patient outcomes secondary to lower rates of adverse drug events and higher rates of compliance with guidelines for advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). The degree to which Canadian pharmacists participate on CPR teams and the services they provide have not previously been assessed.

To measure the frequency of pharmacists' involvement on CPR teams in Canadian health care delivery organizations, to characterize the services provided by these pharmacists, to identify positive predictors of participation, and, for health care delivery organizations without pharmacists on CPR teams, to determine the reasons for the lack of involvement.

An electronic survey was distributed to key informants in Canadian health care delivery organizations. The survey consisted of questions about characteristics of the health care delivery organizations, pharmacists' participation and role on the CPR team, training, and barriers to implementation. The primary outcome was the percentage of health care delivery organizations with pharmacists participating on CPR teams in at least one centre within the organization. The secondary outcomes were pharmacists' activities, training, and reasons for not participating on CPR teams.

Forty-three of 99 key informants responded to the survey. Twenty-nine respondents (67%) indicated that their organization had a CPR team, and 10 (23%) indicated participation by pharmacists on a CPR team. Roles reported to be performed by pharmacists during CPR events were provision of drug information, preparation and administration of medications, record-keeping, and chest compressions. Training for these pharmacists was variable: ACLS training for 4 (40%) of the 10 organizations with pharmacist participation, in-house training for 3 (30%), and no training for 2 (20%); one respondent (10%) did not report the level of training. Reasons for not having pharmacists on CPR teams included inconsistent coverage, lack of training, and staff shortages.

This study characterized current pharmacist participation on CPR teams in Canadian health care delivery organizations. As evidence arises showing the impact of this practice on patient outcomes, pharmacist participation on CPR teams may become more common.