title: Assessing the quality of pharmacist answers to telephone drug information questions.
abstract: A quality assurance (QA) program is described in which frontline pharmacists were asked test drug information questions via anonymous telephone calls. The program was instituted at a university hospital that began providing decentralized pharmaceutical services in 1985. Questions were developed on the basis of a pilot study conducted to determine the types and complexity of drug information questions received by frontline pharmacists at the hospital. Data on departmental clinical productivity were used to determine the number of questions that would be posed during each shift in the various service areas. The questions were posed during a 10-day period; the pharmacists were aware of the program, but the callers did not identify their affiliation with it. In response to 105 questions asked, 86 were judged to have been answered correctly, 13 answers were deemed incomplete, and 6 were judged incorrect. Pharmacists were more likely to respond incorrectly to complex questions and questions posed during the night shift. As a result of the audit, staff members with advanced clinical knowledge were asked to help less experienced pharmacists, the position of assistant director for drug information and staff development was created, and educational programs were instituted. The QA audit has been repeated twice. Posing test drug information questions via anonymous telephone calls is effective in assessing the quality of drug information provided by pharmacists in patient-care areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Services, West Virginia University Hospitals, Morgantown 26506-8045.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poremba
mesh_terms: D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000592:standards*; D010595:Pharmacists; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013689:Telephone; D014903:West Virginia