Pharmacist charting in the preadmission clinic of a Sydney teaching hospital: a pilot study

Abstract

AbstractAimTo trial a pharmacist charting service, comprising medication charting, in the preadmission clinic (PAC) at a Sydney teaching hospital.MethodsA prospective pre/post‐trial was conducted comprising a 1‐month baseline audit and a 1‐month trial of pharmacist charting (i.e. pharmacists' preparation of patients' medication charts during routine consultations). Purpose‐designed data collection forms were used to document: pharmacist and doctor consultation times, time taken by pharmacists to prepare medication charts, and completeness and accuracy of the prescribed medication charts. A semi‐structured survey was used to elicit feedback from PAC staff regarding the pharmacist charting service; the data were thematically analysed using manual, inductive coding.ResultsSeventy‐two medication charts were completed by PAC pharmacists during the 1‐month trial. Completeness of charts improved post‐intervention (5.4 vs 80.6%, p < 0.001), as did the accuracy of charts (proportion of charts with inaccuracies: 41.1 vs 1.4%, p < 0.001); only one (1.4%) pharmacist‐prescribed medication chart was identified as having an inaccuracy. The changes in mean consultation times per patient for doctors and pharmacists, respectively, changed from pre‐ to post‐intervention as follows: pharmacists 18.9 ± 6.5 min to 20.6 ± 8.3 min (p = NS); and doctors 25.0 ± 9.6 min to 19.0 ± 6.4 min (p < 0.001). A statistically significant relationship was found between pharmacist consultation time and patients' numbers of medications (p < 0.001) and age group (p = 0.004).ConclusionPharmacist charting in the PAC has been shown to improve medication chart completeness and accuracy, helping to ensure medication safety in the hospital setting. A further, long‐term trial will help confirm the clinical benefits of such a service.