Clinical pharmacy services in a pediatric ambulatory care clinic.
The implementation of pharmacy services in an ambulatory pediatric clinic has met with initial success in acceptance by the medical and nursing staffs, the administrator, and the patient population. Errors in medication dispensing and prescription labeling have decreased, and patient understanding of prescribed therapy has improved. The number of ER visits by clinic patients has been reduced since the implementation of our service. The importance of patients' understanding directions for use and of dispensing medications in childproof containers for the pediatric population cannot be overstressed. A future goal of our service is to expand the pharmacist's clinical role to allow further participation in pharmacokinetics, specialty clinics, teaching, and patient education. Further documentation of the value of such services is essential to the expansion of the pharmacist's role in patient care.
D002140:California; D004346:Drug Information Services; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005572:Formularies, Hospital as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010372:Pediatrics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000378:metabolism; D010601:Pharmacology, Clinical; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital; D014600:Utilization Review
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations