Human-Resource-Development for the future provision of Clinical Pharmaceutical Services

Background and aim: To implement Clinical Pharmaceutical Services (CPS) in routine hospital care with limited resources, their use should be prioritized. We present an objectifiable approach to planning development particularly for pharmaceutical staff. Investigations: We designed a Human Resource Development Score (HRD): HRD=P-([I+F]/2) with P: prioritization score of CPS assessed by a pharmaceutical expert panel; I: intensity score of CPS currently offered in routine care; F: frequency score of CPS offered; all scores ranged from 0[min]4[max]. An HRD<0 indicates a future decrease, HRD=0 no change and HRD>0 a desirable increase in the pharmaceutical staff development. To obtain an estimated future development (ΔHRD), we multiplied HRD as a weighting factor by the proportion of current or evaluated for the start of the respective CPS pharmaceutical staff positions (n, median per hospital pharmacy) as follows: ΔHRD=HRD*n. We calculated the ΔHRD in 155 of 162 CPS for which all required data were available. Results: In the "Top-5 categories to be increased", the pharmaceutical staff positions (n) and the Human Resource Development (ΔHRD=HRD*n) were as follows (median per hospital pharmacy): 1. "Interfaces"/"Closed-loop concepts" (n: 1.850; ΔHRD: +7.400), 2. "Progress-management"/"Interdisciplinary ward-rounds" (2.000; +2.000), 3. "Progress-management"/"Nursing ward-rounds" (1.000; +2.000). 4. "Interfaces"/"Electronic-prescription and knowledge-support" (0.300; +1.200), 5. "Progress-management"/"Ward-rounds for high-risk-patients" (1.100; +1.100). The most relevant categories whose resources could potentially be decreased to support other CPS were assessed as: "Indication-related (non-patient-related) drug analysis" (0.500; -0.250) and "Oncology consultations" (0.275; -0.275). Conclusions: With the help of a weighted Human Resource Development Score based on an expert panel, proposals for Human Resource Development in CPS were calculated.