ABSTRACT
The role of the pharmacist has evolved significantly, not least over the last 20 years. It delivers a skilled profession with a vital role in medicines optimisation and the management of patients with a respiratory or sleep disorder. While pharmacists are capable of acting as independent practitioners delivering direct patient care, this article explores their contribution to multidisciplinary teams within asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, interstitial lung disease and sleep medicine. Having identified patient cohorts needing specialist medicines support, notably those with poor medicines adherence or specific medicines-related needs (for example during adolescence, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding), these pharmacists work within primary, secondary and specialist tertiary care. The aim of this review is to share and inspire innovative models of working to include more pharmacists in respiratory and sleep medicine.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The safe supply of medicines is an integral part of being discharged from hospital. Locally, nurses are responsible for assembling medication for discharge prescriptions. Over a 2-year period 15 serious medication errors relating to discharge were reported on the health and ageing unit. This project was designed to evaluate whether a discharge medication checklist could reduce errors on nurse-assembled discharge prescriptions. METHODS AND RESULTS: A baseline audit was conducted to identify the number of medication errors on nurse-assembled discharge prescriptions. After the audit period the discharge medication checklist was introduced and education and training was provided to nursing staff. There was a statistically significant reduction in the number of assembled discharge prescriptions with one or more errors (28/56 vs. 9/44; p=0.0478) when re-audited. CONCLUSION: The introduction of a discharge medication checklist demonstrated a significant reduction in errors. The authors recommend that the discharge medication checklist and training programme be rolled out across medical wards to facilitate safe discharge.
