ASSESSMENT OF CLINICAL PHARMACIST INTERVENTION IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN CALICUT

Siraj Sundaran, G. Babu, Sudeep Balakrishnan, Ram Manohar, Ashik Hasan, C. V. Krishnankutty and Japhia Saju*

ABSTRACT

Clinical pharmacist intervention is an integral part of drug therapy. Identifying the drug related problems (DRPs) as well as implementing recommendations to resolve and prevent DRPs are important in clinical pharmacy activities. The aim of this study was to identify the various reactive interventions done by the clinical pharrmacist in a tertiary care hospital in Calicut. A prospective clinical intervention method was used in this study. DRPs were identified and documented during ward rounds, case sheet review and analysis. A total of 73 prescriptions were intervened by the clinical pharmacist. DRPs identified were adverse drug reaction which accounted for 69.9%, followed by drug- drug interaction 13.7%, medication error 12.3%, untreated indication 1.4% and addition of drug 1.4%. Among the reactive interventions 21.3% were minor, 65.5% were moderate and 13.1% were major DRPs. The major reactive interventions provided by the clinical pharmacist involved drug discontinuation (46.5%), followed by drug discontinuation with drug change or symptomatic management (17.8%), change of drug dose (5.4%), and change of dose frequency (16.4%). The study observed an importance of clinical pharmacist in health care sector and impeccable role in patient care. The study concludes that the clinical pharmacist along with other healthcare providers can provide a safer system of patient care and drug utilisation.

Keywords: Drug Related Problems, Reactive intervention, Clinical Pharmacist.