ICU Patient-to-Pharmacist Ratios: A Prospective, Multicenter Time-Motion Study

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Critical Care Medicine
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Critical care pharmacist roles are vital for patient safety and outcomes.
• Inconsistent patient assignment models and time allocation impact pharmacist workload and well-being.
• Understanding the optimal patient-to-pharmacist ratio is crucial for effective critical care pharmacy services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between the intensive care unit (ICU) patient-to-pharmacist ratio, perceived quality of patient care, and pharmacist burnout.
• To identify optimal ICU patient-to-pharmacist ratios that support high-quality care and mitigate burnout.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, multicenter time-motion study was conducted over 10 months involving 128 ICU clinical pharmacists.
• Data collected included time spent on patient care activities, burnout scores (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and perceived quality of care.
• Statistical analyses examined associations between patient ratios, burnout, and care quality.

Main Results:

• Pharmacist burnout occurred in 38.1% of participants and was linked to higher patient loads and overtime.
• Higher perceived quality of care correlated with fewer assigned ICU patients and more direct patient care time.
• An ICU patient-to-pharmacist ratio of 16:1 to 19:1 was associated with the highest perceived quality of care and comprehensive patient assessment rates.

Conclusions:

• Current critical care pharmacist practice models exhibit variability in patient assignments and time allocation.
• An ICU patient-to-pharmacist ratio between 16:1 and 19:1 may represent an optimal balance for enhancing care quality and reducing burnout risk.
• These findings suggest a need for standardized staffing models in academic institutions to improve critical care pharmacy practice.