National Pharmacy Week: Pharmacists Highlight Role in Improving Patient Safety, Lowering Costs |
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Written by U.S. Insurance News
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Monday, 20 October 2003 |
Pharmacists who work in hospitals and health systems across the nation will use National Pharmacy Week, October 19-25, to underscore the new and vital roles they now play in patient care.
BETHESDA, Maryland — Pharmacists who work in hospitals and health systems across the nation will use National Pharmacy Week, October 19-25, to underscore the new and vital roles they now play in patient care. In recent years, pharmacists have moved beyond compounding and dispensing medications to become vital members of multidisciplinary patient-care teams. “Many consumers are not aware that pharmacists play a critical role in preventing medication errors, advising prescribers on the best drug choices, and working directly with patients to ensure they understand how to use their medications safely and effectively,” said Daniel M. Ashy, president of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). "National Pharmacy Week is a great way to educate the public about how pharmacists can help them get the most benefit from their medicine."
An example of the expanding role of the pharmacist can be found in hospitals employing pharmacists in their Emergency Departments (EDs). Full-time ED pharmacists offer benefits to patients and hospitals, including acting as a drug information resource for patients, nurses, and physicians; and decreasing the number of medication errors that occur in the ED. The result is enhanced patient safety and reduced hospital costs. ED pharmacists:
· Screen patient orders for allergies, drug interactions, intended uses, and proper dosages,
· Oversee dispensing, preparing and stocking of medications,
· Respond to trauma alerts and cardiac arrests as resuscitation-team members, and
· Educate nurses, physicians, and patients about the proper use of medications.
ASHP is the 30,000-member national professional association representing pharmacists who practice in hospitals, health maintenance organizations, ambulatory care clinics, long-term care facilities, home care, etc. ASHP, which has a history of medication-error prevention efforts, believes the mission of pharmacists is to help people make the best use of medicines.
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