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OPINIONS OF USERS OF PHARMACY SERVICE PROVIDED TO PICU
Rhian Isaac1, Astrid Gerrard1, Kevin Bazaz1
1Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|August 20, 2016
Summary
Pharmacy services on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) are highly valued by staff. Extending clinical pharmacist presence to 7 days a week is strongly supported to enhance patient safety and care.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Extended hours for pharmacy services are being considered without additional resources, potentially impacting access to specialist clinical pharmacists.
- Pressures exist to expand pharmacy services to 7 days a week, raising concerns about resource allocation and service dilution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate user perceptions of current pharmacy services within the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
- To assess staff opinions regarding planned extensions to PICU pharmacy service hours.
Main Methods:
- An electronic survey was distributed to PICU Consultants, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, and Senior Nursing Staff.
- The survey followed a six-month period of increased clinical pharmacist time allocation to the PICU.
- Qualitative feedback was collected through free-text areas accompanying multiple-choice questions.
Main Results:
- 19 (79%) respondents deemed a PICU-trained clinical pharmacist's presence on morning ward rounds essential, with 14 (59%) considering it essential for afternoon rounds.
- Key roles identified for clinical pharmacists include patient safety, parenteral nutrition management, IV therapy advice, multidisciplinary team education, long-term medicine management, and therapeutic drug monitoring.
- A significant majority (91%) of respondents positively endorsed extending the clinical pharmacy service from 5 to 7 days per week, citing the 24/7 nature of PICU care.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacy services are highly valued by users within the PICU.
- Service users strongly support increased access to and attendance of specifically PICU-trained pharmacists on ward rounds.
- There is significant support for expanding clinical pharmacy services to 7 days a week to align with continuous patient care needs.
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