Pharmacists are active members of the patient care team, responsible for overseeing the optimal, safe and cost effective medication therapy management using evidenced-based medicine to improve overall patient care in all patients:
- Each inpatient unit has a pharmacist dedicated to performing patient care activities each day
- Pharmacists participate and maintain a significant role in multidisciplinary patient care rounds
- Pharmacists are involved in all processes of care – including product selection, dosing, route selection, regimen review, ensuring safe medication administration, monitoring for desired therapeutic outcomes, identifying and avoiding medication errors and adverse drug events, etc.
- Pharmacists review all non-emergent medications orders prior to the first dose being administered to a patient
- Pharmacists include appropriate indications for each patient medication order during the order entry/transcription process to eliminate nursing and physician confusion regarding the use of the medication
- Pharmacists clarify all vague medication orders with the prescriber in an effort to facilitate safe and effective administration of patient medications
- A pharmacist interviews all patients upon admission to the hospital to obtain a complete list of the patient’s home medications and to make sure the medications are properly continued throughout their hospital stay
- A pharmacist is also involved in the education of patients about new medications and in the education of all patients about their discharge medications
http://www.uwhealth.org/quality-reports/the-pharmacists-role-on-the-patient-care-team/12224