Impacts of a multipurpose outpatient hospital pharmacy in the framework of 3P medicine

Challenge in the framework of Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine

In recent years, we have been witnessing a change in the performance of hospital pharmacists, aimed at increasing their participation in the pharmacotherapeutic process of patients. The drug cycle, characterised as multidisciplinary, is very complex. It is essential for the multidisciplinary team to have a broad vision of the medication system in order to guarantee safety and quality.

Considering the challenges of current healthcare systems and paradigm shift from reactive to predictive medicine, a new professional environment should be created to promote the implementation of Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine in healthcare.

Objectives and study design

To optimise care times in multipurpose outpatient hospital both in the preparation of ready-to-use medications and in the dispensing of medications for home treatment.

To increase the confidence and value of hospital pharmacists in the process of patient and family care.

The design of the study was carried out by the following:

-Coordinating the schedules of the multi-pathology day hospital with the software and records of Medication Preparation in the pharmacy service.

-Opening a Pharmacy Outpatient Clinic associated with the multi-pathology day hospital.

-Planning and scheduling patient treatments.

Achievements

With the implementation of this programme, the visibility of hospital pharmacists in the multidisciplinary team was increased.

This Pharmacy Outpatient Clinic allowed the coordination of the pharmaceutical care process in the day hospital.

This project increased the credibility of the Pharmacy Service in the improvement of the integral process of the medicine.

Conclusions and expert recommendations

Predictive approach

The presence of pharmacists in the multi-pathology day hospital has a predictive approach. A change is made in the workflow that allows to generate a speed of intervention by acting before prescribing, dispensing and administering the treatment to the patient.

Targeted prevention

The presence of pharmacists in the multipurpose day hospital unit and their collaboration with other professionals and the patient bring about a selective prevention that decreases the possibility of medication errors occurring.

Personalisation of medical services

With the individualised dispensing of treatments, a step forward is taken in the personalisation of medical services, which avoids medication errors in labelling and administration and improves safety in the overall medication circuit in the hospital.