Hospital Pharmacist
2006;13:310
October 2006

News summary

Pharmacists identify drug- related problems

A recent Norwegian study has added to the body of evidence showing that pharmacist-led interviews provide a means to identify more drug-related problems (DRPs). The study, reported in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (2006;15:667–74) found that when hospital inpatients were interviewed by a pharmacist, a mean of 4.4 DRPs per patient was found, compared with a mean of 2.4 that was elicited by the normal care process, which involved doctors taking drug histories. Issues such as the need for an additional medicine, drug chart errors and the need for patient education were the most common DRPs found in the interview group. The authors conclude that their study has highlighted limitations in the usual care process, which pharmacists can address.