Clinical pharmacist interventions on a Chinese neurology ward: a 2-year service evaluation

A prospective observational study of clinical pharmacist interventions was conducted over a 2-year period from November 2012 to October 2014 to evaluate the clinical activity of pharmacists in the care they provide to patients and to promote safe and effective medication therapy by quantifying medicine-related interventions on a Chinese neurology ward. All pharmacist interventions made in the department of neurology were recorded, categorized, and assessed for potential patient harm if the intervention had not taken place. The quantity, outcomes, and potential severity of clinical pharmacists' interventions were recorded. 619 interventions were made in 385 patients over the 2-year observational period. The mean severity of potential harm assessment was 3.7 (1.12), range 0.8 - 7.0. 87 of the 619 interventions (14.0%) were classified as medication errors. The results of the clinical pharmacist intervention study demonstrated that pharmacists play an important role in the care of neurological patients by improving patient care and reducing clinical risk.