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Impact of an Emergency Department Pharmacy on Medication Omission and Delay.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22193698     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of adding a clinical pharmacist within a pediatric emergency department (ED) on medication omissions and delays, as well as medication errors on patients with prolonged ED stays of 8 hours or greater. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of medication omissions and delays on all patients admitted to a large, tertiary-care children's hospital through the ED during a month before the addition of a clinical pharmacist (April 2007), during a month immediately after the addition of a clinical pharmacist (April 2009), and 6 months after the addition of a clinical pharmacist (October 2009). The medication omissions and delays were separated for urgent and nonurgent medications. A subgroup was further analyzed to evaluate the rate of medication omissions and delays for admitted patients boarded within the ED for 8 hours or greater. RESULTS: Medication omissions and delays decreased immediately after the addition of a clinical pharmacist for urgent medications (P = 0.007) and nonurgent medications (P < 0.0001). This decrease persisted 6 months after the addition of a clinical pharmacist approaching significance for urgent medications (P = 0.06) and statistically significant for nonurgent medications (P < 0.0001). For the patients who were boarded within the ED for 8 hours or greater, 52.8% experienced a medication omission or delay before the addition of a clinical pharmacist, compared with 28.6% and 36.2% experiencing an omission or delay in medications administration immediately after or 6 months after the addition of a clinical pharmacist, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Medication omissions and delays are common within the ED. Admitted patients boarded within the ED for 8 hours or greater are at an increased risk for medications omissions and delays. The addition of a clinical pharmacist within an ED may reduce the number of medication omissions and delays occurring.
Authors:
Greg P Marconi; Ilene Claudius
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-12-21
Journal Detail:
Title:  Pediatric emergency care     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1535-1815     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-12-23     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8507560     Medline TA:  Pediatr Emerg Care     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
From the *Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency and Transport Medicine, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles; and †Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
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