[Economic impact of the resolution of drug related problems in an Emergency Department]. / Impacto económico de la resolución de problemas relacionados con medicamentos en un servicio de urgencias.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the economic impact of avoided cost in hospital stays by preventing drug-related problems. METHOD: Prospective observational study of six months in the emergency department. We included patients admitted for observation and pre-admission beds. A pharmacist was integrated into the healthcare team to validate / reconcile pharmacotherapy. Severity was associated DRPs detected / resolved with the risk increasing the stay of patients admitted to a clinical unit, estimating the potential cost avoided. RESULTS: El 32,5% of patients required intervention and were intercepted 444 drug-related problems, resolving 85.5%. Serious problems serious / significant unresolved affected 130 patients who were admitted, with an estimated avoided cost about 60,000 €. It was noted that serious problems and oral cytostatics, insulin and diabetes were the groups associated with a higher average cost avoided (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: The integration of the pharmacist in the emergency team to intercept medication problems, reducing the risk of stay and increase healthcare costs.

Impacto económico de la resolución de problemas relacionados con medicamentos en un servicio de urgencias / Economic impact of the resolution of drug related problems in an Emergency Department

OBJETIVO: Determinar el impacto económico del coste evitado en estancias hospitalarias a través de la prevención de problemas relacionados con los medicamentos. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional prospectivo de seis meses en un Servicio de Urgencias. Se incluyeron a pacientes hospitalizados en camas de observación y preingreso. Un farmacéutico se integró en el equipo asistencial para validar/ conciliar la farmacoterapia. Se asoció la gravedad de los PRM detectados/ resueltos con el riesgo incrementar la estancia de los pacientes que ingresaron en una unidad clínica, estimando el coste potencialmente evitado. RESULTADOS: El 32,5% de los pacientes requirieron intervención y se interceptaron 444 problemas relacionados con medicamentos, resolviéndose el 85,5%. Problemas de gravedad seria/ significativa resueltos afectaron a 130 pacientes que ingresaron, estimándose un coste evitado de unos 60.000 €. Se observó que los problemas serios y los citostáticos orales, insulinas y antidiabéticos fueron los grupos asociados a un coste medio evitado mayor (p < 0,05). CONCLUSIÓN: La integración del farmacéutico en el equipo de Urgencias permite interceptar problemas de medicación, reduciéndose el riesgo de incrementar la estancia y los costes sanitarios

OBJECTIVE: Determine the economic impact of avoided cost in hospital stays by preventing drug-related problems. METHOD: Prospective observational study of six months in the emergency department. We included patients admitted for observation and preadmission beds. A pharmacist was integrated into the healthcare team to validate / reconcile pharmacotherapy. Severity was associated DRPs detected / resolved with the risk increasing the stay of patients admitted to a clinical unit, estimating the potential cost avoided. RESULTS: El 32,5% of patients required intervention and were intercepted 444 drug-related problems, resolving 85.5%. Serious problems serious / significant unresolved affected 130 patients who were admitted, with an estimated avoided cost about 60,000 €. It was noted that serious problems and oral cytostatics, insulin and diabetes were the groups associated with a higher average cost avoided (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: The integration of the pharmacist in the emergency team to intercept medication problems, reducing the risk of stay and increase healthcare costs

[Pharmaceutical care strategies to prevent medication errors]. / Estrategias de atención farmacéutica para prevenir errores de medicación.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of implementing new programs to improve the quality of the pharmaceutical care and unit-dose distribution system for in-patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An observational and prospective study was carried out in a general hospital during two different six-monthly period. Transcription and dispensation errors were evaluated in twelve wards during the first six months. Then, two new measures were introduced: the first- reference ward-pharmacist and the second-a new protocol for checking medication on the ward. Results were evaluated by SPSS v. 14 program. RESULTS: In the transcription evaluation, units without a ward pharmacist did not improve. Transcription errors significantly decreased in three units: gynaecology-urology (3.24% vs. 0.52%), orthopaedic (2% vs. 1.69%) and neurology-pneumology (2.81% vs. 2.02%). In dispensing, only units with the new protocol decreased their medication errors (1.77% vs. 1.24%). CONCLUSIONS: The participation of pharmacists in multidisciplinary teams and exhaustive protocols for dispensing medication were effective in detecting and decreasing medication errors in patients.

Estrategias de atención farmacéutica para prevenir errores de medicación / Pharmaceutical care strategies to prevent medication errors

Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de medidas que mejoren la calidad de la atención farmacéutica y la distribución de medicamentos en pacientes hospitalizados. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional prospectivo en un hospital general. En 12 unidades de hospitalización, durante 2 semestres se recogieron los errores de medicación cometidos en los procesos de transcripción de prescripciones médicas y la dispensación de medicamentos en dosis unitarias. Tras 6 meses, se implantaron las medidas a evaluar: asignación de farmacéuticos de referencia y un nuevo protocolo de preparación/revisión de la medicación. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y estadísticos (pruebas de la t de Student y ANOVA) de los resultados obtenidos mediante el programa SPSS versión 14. Resultados: En transcripción, ninguna unidad mejoró sin un farmacéutico de referencia. Los errores descendieron en 3 unidades de manera significativa: ginecología-urología (el3,24 frente al 0,52%), traumatología (el 2 frente al 1,69) y neurología-neumología (el2,81 frente al 2,02%). En dispensación, sólo disminuyeron de manera significativa en las unidades con nuevo protocolo (el 1,77 frente al 1,24%).Conclusiones: La integración del farmacéutico en equipos multidisciplinarios y protocolos seguros para dispensar medicamentos fueron medidas eficaces para detectar y reducir errores de medicación en pacientes hospitalizados (AU)

Objective: To evaluate the impact of implementing new programs to improve the quality of the pharmaceutical care and unit-dose distribution system for in-patients.Material and methods: An observational and prospective study was carried out in a university hospital during two different six-monthly period. Transcription and dispensation errors were evaluated in twelve wards during the first six months. Then, two new measures were introduced: the first- reference ward-pharmacist and the second-a new protocol for checking medication on the ward. Results were evaluated by SPSS v. 14 program. Results: In the transcription evaluation, units without a ward pharmacist did not improve. Transcription errors significantly decreased in three units: gynaecology-urology (3.24% vs.0.52%), orthopaedic (2% vs. 1.69%) and neurology-pneumology (2.81% vs. 2.02%). In dispensing, only units with the new protocol decreased their medication errors (1.77% vs. 1.24%). Conclusions: The participation of pharmacists in multidisciplinary teams and exhaustive protocols for dispensing medication were effective in detecting and decreasing medication errors in patients (AU)