Role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study focused on critically ill COVID-19 patients

doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2021.07.010

. 2021 Sep;29(9):1050-1055.

doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2021.07.010. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

Role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study focused on critically ill COVID-19 patients

Abdulrahman Alwhaibi¹, Abdulmohsin Alrwaished², Shoug Majed Binobydaan³, Sawsan Alawwad⁴, Syed Wajid¹, Salmeen Bablghaith¹, Sultan Alghadeer^{1

5}, Mohammed N Al Arifi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy - King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
² Pharmacy Department, Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Sales, SAJA Pharmaceutical Company, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Pharmacy Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Research center, Department of Basic Sciences, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 34305425
PMCID: PMC8282452
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2021.07.010

Role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study focused on critically ill COVID-19 patients

Abdulrahman Alwhaibi et al. Saudi Pharm J. 2021 Sep.

. 2021 Sep;29(9):1050-1055.

doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2021.07.010. Epub 2021 Jul 16.

Authors

Abdulrahman Alwhaibi¹, Abdulmohsin Alrwaished², Shoug Majed Binobydaan³, Sawsan Alawwad⁴, Syed Wajid¹, Salmeen Bablghaith¹, Sultan Alghadeer^{1

5}, Mohammed N Al Arifi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy - King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
² Pharmacy Department, Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Sales, SAJA Pharmaceutical Company, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Pharmacy Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Research center, Department of Basic Sciences, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz College for Emergency Medical Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 34305425
PMCID: PMC8282452
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2021.07.010

Abstract

Background and aim: During the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, there has been a huge demand for medications and unprecedented utilization of intensive care unit (ICU) services that subsequently and profoundly impacted the quality of medical care provided to COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to shed light on the role of pharmacists on the health care provided to critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Methods: A retrospective study, was conducted in Diriyah hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on all COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU between June 27th and August 15th, 2020 until patients were transferred to the medical ward, discharged, or deceased. All medication related interventions performed by pharmacists have been documented electronically, collected and subsequently categorized and analyzed.

Results: The mean age of patients was 58.8 years (±12.98 SD), with age of >64 years in approximately 37%. Four hundred and seventy interventions (470) were made by pharmacists of which 32%, 11.7%, 4%, 2.6%, 2.1% were due to error in dosing regimens, drug duplication, missing drug information, drugs requiring prior authorization, and missing critical information, respectively; while 40.6% were due to medication shortage of which 40.3% were substituted with alternative medications. Based on the analysis of drugs involved in interventions, medication groups that were mainly associated with interventions included antibiotics (16.8%), electrolytes/minerals (11.7%) and vitamins (9.4%).

Conclusion: During health crises such as COVID-19 pandemic, the role of pharmacists in the ICU services becomes extremely crucial for providing better patients' outcomes. Further studies should be conducted to follow up these findings in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; ICU patients; Interventions; Pharmacist.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Body mass index (BMI) comparison between deceased and survived critically ill COVID-19 patients.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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[1] Abunahlah N., Elawaisi A., Velibeyoglu F.M., Sancar M. Drug related problems identified by clinical pharmacist at the Internal Medicine Ward in Turkey. Int. J. Clin. Pharm. 2018;40(2):360–367. doi: 10.1007/s11096-017-0585-5. Epub 2018 Jan 29 PMID: 29380236. - DOI - PubMed

[2] Abunahlah N., Elawaisi A., Velibeyoglu F.M., Sancar M. Drug related problems identified by clinical pharmacist at the Internal Medicine Ward in Turkey. Int. J. Clin. Pharm. 2018;40(2):360–367. doi: 10.1007/s11096-017-0585-5. Epub 2018 Jan 29 PMID: 29380236. - DOI - PubMed

[3] Alderman C.P., Farmer C. A brief analysis of clinical pharmacy interventions undertaken in an Australian teaching hospital. J. Quality Clin. Practice. 2001;21(4):99–103. - PubMed

[4] Alderman C.P., Farmer C. A brief analysis of clinical pharmacy interventions undertaken in an Australian teaching hospital. J. Quality Clin. Practice. 2001;21(4):99–103. - PubMed

[5] Al-Jazairi A.S., Al-Agil A.A., Asiri Y.A., Al-Kholi T.A., Akhras N.S., Horanieh B.K. The impact of clinical pharmacist in a cardiac-surgery intensive care unit. Saudi Med. J. 2008;29(2):277–281. PMID: 18246241. - PubMed

[6] Al-Jazairi A.S., Al-Agil A.A., Asiri Y.A., Al-Kholi T.A., Akhras N.S., Horanieh B.K. The impact of clinical pharmacist in a cardiac-surgery intensive care unit. Saudi Med. J. 2008;29(2):277–281. PMID: 18246241. - PubMed

[7] Aljbouri T.M., Alkhawaldeh M.S., Abu-Rumman A.E.K., Hasan T.A., Khattar H.M., Abu-Oliem A.S. Impact of clinical pharmacist on cost of drug therapy in the ICU. Saudi Pharm. J. 2013;21(4):371–374. - PMC - PubMed

[8] Aljbouri T.M., Alkhawaldeh M.S., Abu-Rumman A.E.K., Hasan T.A., Khattar H.M., Abu-Oliem A.S. Impact of clinical pharmacist on cost of drug therapy in the ICU. Saudi Pharm. J. 2013;21(4):371–374. - PMC - PubMed

[9] Anderson, J.G., Abrahamson, K., 2017. Your Health Care May Kill You: Medical Errors. InITCH 2017 Jan 1, pp. 13–17. - PubMed

[10] Anderson, J.G., Abrahamson, K., 2017. Your Health Care May Kill You: Medical Errors. InITCH 2017 Jan 1, pp. 13–17. - PubMed

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Role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study focused on critically ill COVID-19 patients

Affiliations

Role of pharmacist during COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective study focused on critically ill COVID-19 patients

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

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References

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