| Description |
The utilization of existing manpower has become an ever increasing subject of concern for health professions during the last few years. It has also been a subject of concern that control of these professions remains in the hands of the professionals who practice or who trained in them. The profession of pharmacy is a dynamic art. The progress made in updating the art and facing the modern challenges of modern health care system is due primary to the educators and practitioners of pharmacy. This study was don to investigate the concept of utilizing the hospital pharmacist and supportive personnel to actively monitor the total drug therapy administered in the in-patients of a 360 bed medical center. Some aspects of out-patient care were also studied because they lent themselves well to point out some of the parameters of pharmacist controlled drug regimen monitoring. The drug distribution system of the hospital was completely remodeled and a new system termed, "Patient Drug Profile System" was instigated. This study is a report of what hospital pharmacists were able to do with a drug record that projected them toward a more active role on the health care team. This system also reduced hospital operating costs, and demonstrated several advantages over the system previously in used by the hospital's pharmacy department. The objectives of the drug profile system were many. This system was to effect a means to utilize the professional capabilities of the hospital pharmacist to a great extent; to project the hospital pharmacist toward a more active role on the health care team; and to create greater exchange between the physician, pharmacist, and nurse. This system also included the concept of preventive medicine in so far as the pharmacist's expertise with pharmaceutical allowed him to prevent adverse drug reactions, detect drug toxicities, reduce the patient's length of stay in the hospital, reduce medication errors, detect and prevent undesired drug interactions, and reduce hospital operating costs and cost to the patient. The drug profile system was limited only to the ability of the pharmacists and the cooperation of the nursing services personnel and physicians. It also pointed to the necessity of checks and balances system for the physician, pharmacist, and nurse. This triangle of health professionals working in cooperation and harmony, one with the other, can do much to elevate the quality of health care received by the patient. All three of these health professionals are interested in the patient's welfare. |
