The evaluation of a novel model of providing ward pharmacy services.
BACKGROUND
In UK hospitals, traditional ward pharmacy services involve pharmacists visiting their wards once or twice a day each weekday. However, to provide a more patient orientated ward pharmacy service, we developed the Imperial Model of Ward Pharmacy. This is based on pharmacists seeing every drug chart every other day, allowing increased focus towards patients' needs on other days.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of the Imperial Model of Ward Pharmacy on the prevalence of new medication orders that have not been screened by pharmacists, and doses omitted due to medication being unavailable.


METHODS
We conducted an uncontrolled before-and-after study on eight medical wards. In each phase, we collected data on the number and prevalence of active medication orders that had not been screened by a pharmacist at the point of data collection, and the number and prevalence of regular doses documented as being omitted due to drug unavailability, or for which the administration record was left blank.


RESULTS
The prevalence of unscreened medication orders reduced from 7.6 % of 1,433 orders to 4.1 % of 1,495 orders (p = 0.0002; Chi square test). There was no change in the prevalence of dose omissions (1.4 % in each phase of the study).


CONCLUSIONS
This is a practical way to move to a more patient-focused service without affecting the safety of the service provided.
Centre for Medication Safety and Service Quality, Pharmacy Department, Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF, UK. bryony.deanfranklin@imperial.nhs.uk
Bryony Dean
BD
Franklin
Mario Borges
MB
Rosa
Gavin
G
Miller
Ann
A
Jacklin
D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010595:Pharmacists; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024382:Professional Role; D016730:Program Development; D006113:United Kingdom