The economic and qualitative effect by resident pharmacist in wards

Abstract

In April 2008, nine hospitals of National Hospital Organization in Kyushu area increased pharmacists. Two of them instituted pharmacists regularly stationed at wards. Thus, we reviewed the transition of pharmaceutical management numbers as indication of economic effect, and reviewed the transition of patient-brought-drug examinations and the PRE-AVOID reports as indication of quality. First we compared the numbers of pre-and post-stationing of pharmacists in wards and reviewed comparison with the hospital which did not regularly station pharmacists in wards. Two hospitals with pharmacists stationed at wards successfully improved the number of pharmaceutical managements and examinations of drugs brought by inpatients compared to prior to March, 2008. The number of PRE-AVOID reports increased greatly at the one hospital. In the hospital where pharmacists did not stay at ward, the number of pharmaceutical managements and the germfree disposal showed no considerable increase/decrease tendencies, and there were little PRE-AVOID reports. The findings of the present study suggest stationing pharmacists at wards has significant effect to enhance both the number of pharmaceutical managements and the qualitative effect of drug uses.