clinical trial to investigate the role of clinical pharmacist in resolving/preventing drug related problems in ICU patients who receive anti-infective therapy

ABSTRACT

To highlight the role of the clinical pharmacist in resolving/preventing drug related problems and to measure the acceptance of the pharmaceutical care plan for patients who receive anti-infective therapy in the intensive care unit. Two groups of patients were randomly selected from general intensive care unit ward of the King Hussein Medical Center. Royal Medical Services, Amman, Jordan ; Intervention group, n=52 and control group. n=50. The intervention group received complete pharmaceutical care services. Consult notes were written to identify drug related problems according to a pharmacy care plan. Clinical pharmacist's recommendations for the intervention group were submitted to and discussed with physicians. Acceptance rate of the recommendations was then measured. A total of 251 drug related problem were identified for both groups. For the intervention group, the physicians' acceptance rate of the submitted recommendations was very high [around 98%]. Clinical pharmacist plays a key role as member of multidisciplinary team as he is able to assess the patient's medication treatment from different aspects during intensive care unit stay; consequently, physicians are increasingly accepting the clinical pharmacist recommendations regarding drug related problems for patients in intensive care unit