Positive evidence for clinical pharmacist interventions during interdisciplinary rounding at a psychiatric hospital

Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 1;11(1):13641. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-92909-2.

Abstract

Clinical pharmacists have not yet become an integral part of interdisciplinary ward rounds in most psychiatric hospitals across the European Union. This retrospective observational pre-post study examined the impact of clinical pharmacist recommendations in an interdisciplinary medical team during psychiatric hospital rounding. The study included all patients in a Slovenian psychiatric hospital who were hospitalized 2019-2020. The clinical pharmacist made 315 recommendations for a total of 224 participants (average age M = 59.4, median = 56). Psychiatrists accepted 295 (93.7%) of the recommendations. After the recommendations, the number of expressed and potential drug-related problems decreased in 166 (93.8%) and 129 (93.8%) interventions, respectively. Three months after discharge, 222 accepted recommendations were continued (70.5%). The most common recommendations were related to antipsychotics (19.4%, N = 61) followed by antidepressants (16.8%, N = 53). Including a clinical pharmacist in the interdisciplinary ward rounds at a psychiatric hospital reduced the number of expressed and potential drug-related problems with a very high recommendation acceptance rate. These results are the first in Central Europe to explore the benefits of including a clinical pharmacist in ward rounding.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / etiology
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / prevention & control
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Psychiatric
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Middle Aged
  • Pharmacists*
  • Pharmacy Service, Hospital
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Slovenia / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents
  • Antipsychotic Agents