Planning for pharmaceutical care.
The process for planning a pharmaceutical care practice model at the University of California-San Diego Medical Center (UCSDMC) is described. Pharmaceutical care is viewed as a health care need, analogous to medical care or dental care. Provision of such care requires that pharmacists have a generalist, rather than specialist, orientation and be held responsible for the outcomes of drug therapy. The scope of pharmaceutical care encompasses all treatment settings, emphasizing continuity of care from one setting to another. Its goal is to address the total pharmaceutical care needs of all patients. A pharmaceutical care task force was appointed to develop an overall plan for the implementation of the pharmaceutical care concept at UCSDMC. Several key practice elements were identified that served as the basis for the practice model. A three-week pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of implementing a pharmaceutical care program. An implementation plan was then developed. The program is currently being implemented. A long-range plan for implementing a pharmaceutical care practice model was developed through introspection, consensus building, and redirection of professional efforts.
Department of Pharmacy, University of California-San Diego (UCSD) Medical Center 92103-8765.
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D002140:California; D004358:Drug Therapy; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010934:Planning Techniques; D016730:Program Development; D016896:Treatment Outcome