title: Effect of clinical pharmacy input on physician prescribing habits in the nursing home care unit.
abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate any changes in medication use in our 60-bed nursing home care unit as a result of eliminating clinical pharmacy services during a 2-week period. Information was obtained on patient medications and number of doses dispensed. All patients were found to have a 6% increase in average number of scheduled medications, a 3% increase in average total medications, and an increase in scheduled doses dispensed by 10% during the absence of clinical pharmacy services. These numbers declined by 16, 18, and 9%, respectively, 2 weeks after the return of clinical pharmacy services. When evaluating only those 37 patients present the entire 4 week period, average scheduled medications rose 5% and total medications rose 4% during the absence of clinical pharmacy services and declined 13 and 17%, respectively, upon return of services. Eleven patients showed an increase in total number of medications during the absence of clinical pharmacy services whereas 21 patients showed a decline in medications after the return of clinical pharmacy services (P less than 0.001). The authors conclude that clinical pharmacy services must be provided on a continuous basis to maintain good physician prescribing habits in the nursing home care unit.
authors: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Reno, NV 89520.
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Thornley
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Carmichael
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Bryg
mesh_terms: D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006302:Health Services Research; D006744:Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009505:Nevada; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010595:Pharmacists; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends