From Pilot to Practice: A Trainee-Integrated Pharmacy Practice Model in Cardiology

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Cardiology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Limited resources often restrict the expansion of clinical pharmacy services.
• Medication use problems can lead to poor patient outcomes.
• Integrating trainees into practice models may offer a solution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the impact and feasibility of a trainee-integrated pharmacy practice (TIPP) model.
• To assess the TIPP model's effect on clinical pharmacy services in cardiology.
• To evaluate the time commitment required for the TIPP model.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted using a TIPP model with 1 clinical pharmacist and 3 pharmacy residents.
• Services included interdisciplinary rounds, order verification, medication reconciliation, counseling, and monitoring.
• Data on medication reconciliation, interventions, and time were collected and compared to historical controls.

Main Results:

• The TIPP model improved medication reconciliation by 81% and discharge counseling by 70% compared to historical controls.
• An average of 3.5 discrepancies were found per patient during admission reconciliation.
• A total of 763 clinical interventions were recommended, averaging 42.4 per day.

Conclusions:

• The trainee-integrated pharmacy practice (TIPP) model significantly expanded clinical pharmacy services in an acute care cardiology setting.
• The model demonstrated feasibility but required substantial time commitments from team members.
• Further research may explore optimizing TIPP models for broader implementation.