Time distribution for pharmacists conducting a randomized controlled trial-An observational time and motion study

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmaceutical Services
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Increasing elderly populations necessitate evolving healthcare delivery models.
• Accurate cost estimation for clinical interventions requires understanding time allocation.
• Time and motion studies are effective for quantifying healthcare personnel time distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the time distribution of pharmacists during a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that implemented a clinical intervention.
• To provide data for informed decision-making regarding the implementation and cost of clinical pharmacist interventions.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving a 5-step pharmacist intervention in a geriatric ward.
• Work Observation Method By Activity Timing (WOMBAT) was used to record pharmacist activities over eight weeks.
• Activities were classified into RCT-tasks (intervention, administrative), non-RCT tasks, and social/breaks, capturing interruptions and multitasking.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists spent 85.4% of observed time on RCT-related tasks, with nearly 60% dedicated to intervention tasks.
• Medication reviews constituted the most time-consuming activity (32% of total observed time).
• Verbal communication (patients, healthcare professionals) accounted for 14% of intervention time.

Conclusions:

• Clinical pharmacists dedicated approximately half of their time to performing the actual intervention during the RCT.
• Healthcare cost estimations for clinical pharmacist services must accurately reflect the time spent to avoid overestimations.
• This study highlights the importance of precise time measurement for resource allocation in pharmaceutical care.