Pharmacist Jobs

Pharmacists Intervention

In recent years, the usage of activated vitamin D (α-calcidol and calcitriol) in the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) has escalated and this has put unnecessary burden on the hospitals limited health care budget. The main aim of this study was to determine the effects of a clinical pharmacists intervention in reducing the inappropriate use of activated vitamin D. Data were collected retrospectively. Pre-intervention data were obtained from records of the previous years use of activated vitamin D. An intervention screening form was developed based on a new guideline which was produced by the UMMC Osteoporosis Committee. Use of activated vitamin D was reviewed by a clinical pharmacist using the screening form. Pharmacist intervention on the use of activated vitamin D was effective and resulted in a cost saving of up to. Prescribers in the UMMC are now aware of the guidelines and justifications for the use of activated vitamin D. Therefore, the implementation of the guidelines to reduce the inappropriate use of medications is a effort between pharmacists and prescribers. Intervention made by pharmacists to prescriptions for both inpatients and outpatients when they perceived inadequacies of drug prescription or administration, including characterization of the problem, coding of outcome, recording of time taken to initiate and resolve intervention, and grade of prescribing doctor.

A group of pharmacists was encouraged to discuss essential elements of asthma care with the general practitioners they normally worked with. In this study they found a statistically significant and clinically relevant effect of the intervention on the availability of a short-acting betamimetic and the use of inhaled corticosteroid while on long-acting betamimetics. The use of only one type of inhaler improved in the intervention and reference groups. Most reactive pharmacy interventions concerned prescribing errors with a limited potential for medical harm, but a small number of detected errors with a major potential for medical harm; cost savings were not appreciable.