Impact of pharmacist medication review for paediatric patients: an observational study
Marine Solano1, Marie Jeannin1, Raphael Anxionnat2
1Pharmacy Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France.
Insights
Pharmacist medication reviews significantly enhance paediatric patient safety by reducing drug-related problems and improving parent understanding. This intervention optimizes medication administration and ensures continuity of care post-discharge.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pharmacology
- Clinical Pharmacy Practice
- Medication Safety
Background:
- Paediatric patients face elevated risks of medication errors and adverse drug events due to complex care needs.
- Ensuring safe and effective medication management in children is a critical healthcare challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist medication reviews on paediatric patients.
- To assess improvements in medication safety and patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study conducted in a French hospital over 33 months.
- Clinical pharmacists provided medication counselling and telephone follow-ups for paediatric patients with chronic diseases.
- Assessed drug-related problems (DRPs), pharmacist interventions, acceptance rates, parental understanding, and patient satisfaction.
Main Results:
- 195 paediatric patients were included, with 65 pharmacist interventions accepted (95% acceptance rate).
- Common DRPs involved administration (32.3%), herb-drug interactions (24.6%), and dose selection (17%).
- Parental knowledge increased by 28%, and needs regarding administration and side effects decreased significantly (67% and 49%).
Conclusions:
- Clinical pharmacists play a vital role in improving paediatric medication safety during discharge and consultations.
- Interventions reduce prescription errors, optimize drug administration, and enhance care continuity.
- Pharmacist involvement leads to better patient outcomes and parental confidence in medication management.
Background:
Paediatric patients are at high risk of medication errors and adverse drug events due to complex medical care.
Objective:
To assess the impact of pharmacist medication review for paediatric patients.
Setting:
A single-centre prospective observational study was performed over 33 months, from February 2018 to October 2020 in a French Hospital.
Method:
Clinical pharmacists provided medication counselling at a hospital and conducted telephone follow-ups between 3 and 7 days after discharge of paediatric patients with chronic diseases for whom treatment was introduced or modified during hospitalisation or hospital consultations.
Main Outcome Measures:
The incidence of drug-related problems (DRPs), the number and type of pharmacist intervention and paediatrician acceptance rates were assessed. Parents' understanding and drug-related needs were compared before and after medication review. Time to outpatient treatment and patient satisfaction were determined. Statistical analyses were performed in Excel.
Results:
In total, 195 paediatric patients were included. Pharmacists identified 65 interventions, 95% of which were accepted. The most frequent DRPs included inappropriate drug administration (32.3%), herb-drug interactions (24.6%) and dose selection (17%). Parents' knowledge increased by 28% from baseline after pharmacist's medication counselling. Parents' drug-related needs concerning administration and side effects decreased by 67% and 49%, respectively, following the pharmacist's medication counselling. Most (75%) of the patients were able to get their treatment immediately after discharge.
Conclusion:
Clinical pharmacists can improve medication safety for children during the discharge process or consultations, by reducing prescription errors, optimising administration, counselling patients or parents and helping to ensure care continuity.
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