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Pharmacist prioritization tools for paediatric patients: development, implementation, validation, and impact-a

Elena Van Nederkassel1,2, Elisabeth Van Eyken1,2, Ine Hubrechts1,2

  • 1School of Pharmacy, University College London (UCL), 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom.

The International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
|July 2, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Few pharmacist prioritization tools exist for pediatric patients, with most still in development. These tools show potential for improving workflow and pharmacist interventions but require further validation and implementation research.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacy practice
  • Clinical pharmacy
  • Pediatric pharmacotherapy

Background:

  • Pharmacist prioritization tools aid in identifying patients for targeted interventions.
  • Existing reviews of these tools have largely excluded pediatric populations.
  • There is a need to understand tools specifically for clinical pharmacists in pediatric settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically identify and describe prioritization tools for clinical pharmacists in pediatric settings.
  • To analyze the development, validation, and impact of these tools.
  • To explore barriers to the implementation of pediatric pharmacist prioritization tools.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Embase, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts was conducted.
  • Empirical study types, including conference abstracts, were included without date or language restrictions.
  • Quality assessment was performed using the Delphi Critical Appraisal Tool or Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

Main Results:

  • Few tools (3 full-text papers, 5 abstracts) were identified, mostly in the testing phase.
  • Group consensus among pharmacists and technicians was a common development method.
  • Limited validation and generalizability were noted; few tools were implemented in routine practice, though some showed potential for workflow improvement.

Conclusions:

  • Existing pediatric pharmacist prioritization tools are scarce and largely in early development stages.
  • These tools demonstrate potential to enhance pharmacy workflows and enable timely, targeted interventions.
  • Future research should prioritize tool validation, multidisciplinary development, and patient/carer involvement.
Abstract

Keywords:
clinical pharmacyhospital pharmacy servicespaediatricsprioritization toolrisk assessmenttriage

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