Day-shift Pharmacist Duties in Secondary Emergency Rooms and Their Impact on Patient Safety

Abstract

Few hospitals in Japan have pharmacists stationed in secondary emergency rooms, and there are limited reports on their roles. This study aimed to investigate the activities of pharmacists in the secondary emergency rooms of Fukuoka Tokushukai Hospital, in addition to providing drug-related information to other healthcare professionals. The study examined the impact of pharmacists on medication errors in secondary emergency rooms. Pharmacists primarily performed tasks ranked by frequency, including “collecting medication history,” “interviewing patients and their families,” and “transporting medications.” The most commonly provided drug information was related to “dosage and administration” for physicians and “route of administration and changes in drug combinations” for nurses. The proportion of medication errors significantly decreased (P < 0.01) during weekday shifts when the pharmacists were on duty. This study highlights the roles and contributions of pharmacists stationed in secondary emergency rooms in promoting medication safety and supports the future development of resident pharmacist services in these settings.