ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings: Monitoring and patient education--2009

Abstract

Purpose: Results of the 2009 ASHP national survey of pharmacy practice in hospital settings that pertain to monitoring and patient education are presented.

Methods: A stratified random sample of pharmacy directors at 1364 general and children's medical-surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed by mail. SDI Health supplied data on hospital characteristics; the survey sample was drawn from SDI's hospital database.

Results: The response rate was 40.5%. Virtually all hospitals (97.3%) had pharmacists regularly monitor medication therapy in some capacity; nearly half monitored 75% or more of their patients. Over 92% had pharmacists routinely monitor serum medication concentrations or their surrogate markers, and most hospitals allowed pharmacists to order initial serum concentrations (80.1%) and adjust dosages (79.2%). Interdisciplinary committees reviewed adverse drug events in 89.3% of hospitals. Prospective analysis was conducted by 66.2% of hospitals, and retrospective analysis was performed by 73.6%. An assessment of safety culture had been conducted by 62.8% of hospitals. Most hospitals assigned oversight for patient medication education to nursing (89.0%), but many hospitals (68.9%) reported that pharmacists provided medication education to 1-25% of patients. Computerized prescriber-order-entry systems with clinical decision support were in place in 15.4%, bar-code-assisted medication administration systems were used by 27.9%, smart infusion pumps were used in 56.2%, and complete electronic medical record systems were in place in 8.8% of hospitals. The majority of hospitals (64.7%) used an integrated pharmacy practice model using clinical generalists.

Conclusion: Pharmacists were significantly involved in monitoring medication therapy. Pharmacists were less involved in medication education activities. Technologies to improve the use of medications were used in an increasing percentage of hospitals. Hospital pharmacy practice was increasingly integrated, with pharmacists having both distribution and clinical roles.