Perspective - Der Pharmacia Lettre ( 2024) Volume 16, Issue 2
Received: 30-Jan-2024, Manuscript No. DPL-24-129635;
Editor assigned: 01-Feb-2024, Pre QC No. DPL-24-129635 (PQ);
Reviewed: 15-Feb-2024, QC No. DPL-24-129635;
Revised: 22-Feb-2024, Manuscript No. DPL-24-129635 (R);
Published:
01-Mar-2024
, DOI: 10.37532/dpl.2024.16.13
, Citations: Michaels S. 2024. Optimizing Pharmacotherapy in Intensive Care with Clinical Pharmacist.
Der Pharma Lett.16:13-14.
,
Copyright: © 2024 Michaels S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
When a clinical pharmacist is part of a health team, patients' clinical circumstances can be properly monitored and their prescriptions are analysed for safety and reason. In recent years, there has been a significant evolution in the role of the hospital clinical pharmacist in the safe and prudent administration of medications. Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are hospitals' designated areas for patients who are in severe condition and require additional attention and care. Additionally, patients in these facilities are often given multiple prescription medications throughout their hospital stay, which contributes to the development of Drug-Related Problems (DRP) such polypharmacy. The majority of medications are given intravenously, which is thought to be the least safe method.
This raises the danger of infections and drug incompatibilities when other medications are given concurrently, underscoring the importance of closely monitoring the patient's pharmacotherapy. Consequently, despite the lack of a standard operating procedure for the clinical pharmacist, this practitioner plays a crucial role in the intensive care unit. The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in Brazil acknowledged the pharmacist in 2010 as a member of the multidisciplinary team in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but it did not control the professional's attributions in this unit. Only in 2019 were the actions carried out by pharmacists in intensive care units regulated. This meant that clinical pharmacists had to work full-time in the ICU and dedicate themselves solely to the treatment of critically ill patients.
When a clinical pharmacist is a productive member of a multidisciplinary team in the intensive care unit, numerous studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in Medication Errors (ME), Adverse Drug Events (ADE), treatment costs, and improved patient outcomes, including decreased mortality.
According to earlier research, clinical pharmacists in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) can significantly enhance patient outcomes by offering tailored advice on complicated medication schedules, lowering the frequency of Drug-Related Problems (DRPs), and lowering Adverse Drug Events (ADEs). Three significant obstacles must to be overcome before the Clinical Pharmacy service in the ICU can advance.
The first difficulty is the dearth of authoritative guidelines offering sound advice on the essential tasks performed by clinical pharmacists in intensive care units. The second concern pertains to the disparity in clinical pharmacist performance across various specialties and geographical areas. Finally, despite the fact that pharmacists are now considered to be highly qualified professionals and an integral part of interdisciplinary teams, there remains a barrier in the mutual understanding of each other's specialties and requirements. It is thought that the use of clinical pharmacists in intensive care units is still relatively new. The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) acknowledged the necessity of pharmacological assistance at the bedside, recognized the pharmacist as a member of the multidisciplinary team, and specified the minimal conditions for clinical functioning in ICUs in 2010. While this was a good development for the patient and the hospital's performance, the pharmacist's ability to participate in the health teams providing these services was still unregulated.
This study aimed to assess the opinion and perception of professionals who work directly and indirectly in the Clinical Pharmacy service, taking into account the needs of the patient, the multiprofessional team, and the Brazilian hospital organizations, in order to better understand the factors that influence the practices and choices of the clinical pharmacist in the ICU. During the prescription validation procedure, the technical study of the medical prescription falls under the purview of the intensive care clinical pharmacist. The interventionist's duties in this activity include addressing possible drug interactions, adjusting dosages, diluting and reconstitutions, defining the ideal time for administration in collaboration with the physician and nurse, substituting drugs, analyzing the administration route, and consistently guaranteeing patient safety. Along with helping with the care of patients on mechanical breathing, the clinical pharmacist in the intensive care unit is also mandated to keep an eye on changes in laboratory test results.
Citation: Michaels S. 2024. Optimizing Pharmacotherapy in Intensive Care with Clinical Pharmacist. Der Pharma Lett.16:13-14.
Copyright: © 2024 Michaels S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
