Implementation, Evolution and Impact of ICU Telepharmacy Services Across a Health care System

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Pharmacy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Tele-intensive care unit (tele-ICU) services leverage technology to support bedside care.
• Telepharmacy involves pharmacists using telecommunication for operational oversight and patient care.
• Critical care pharmacy expertise is essential but often limited in availability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the implementation and development of telepharmacy services.
• To ensure access to critical care-trained pharmacists across a healthcare system.
• To highlight a unique, clinical-based tele-ICU pharmacy model.

Main Methods:

• Utilized audio, video, and electronic databases for remote pharmacist support.
• Implemented customized alert generation and intervention proposals for medication orders.
• Documented alerts and interventions over a 34-month period (September 2015 - July 2018).

Main Results:

• Generated over 110,000 alerts.
• Performed over 13,000 interventions by telepharmacists.
• Demonstrated documented clinical and financial benefits.

Conclusions:

• Tele-ICU pharmacists effectively provide critical care expertise remotely with limited resources.
• This model offers benefits during nontraditional hours across multiple sites.
• Further research is needed on the impact on patient outcomes like length of stay, morbidity, and mortality.