Pharmaceutical review using telemedicine – a before and after feasibility study

Abstract

Only 42 of the 116 public hospitals in Queensland employ qualified pharmacists to staff their pharmacies. We undertook a feasibility study to determine if pharmaceutical reviews, undertaken face-to-face by a visiting pharmacist, could be replicated using telemedicine. The study was conducted in two phases, with the same pharmacist coordinating the project from the main hospital to two rural hospitals, which relied on supply nurses for all their pharmaceutical services. All inpatients admitted between October 2006 and May 2007 were included in the study. In Phase I the pharmacist made weekly visits to both facilities, to perform face-to-face pharmaceutical reviews of the current inpatients. In Phase 2, all pharmaceutical reviews were performed remotely by the pharmacist by telephone or videoconference. In Phase 1, 186 pharmaceutical activities were performed (mean 3.9 per patient). Of these, 78 pharmacist-initiated changes were recommended and 47 (60%) were implemented. In Phase 2, a total of 296 activities were performed (mean 3.1 per patient) and of the 140 recommendations made by the remote pharmacist, 74 (53%) were accepted. Of the accepted recommendations, there were 11 major interventions (those with a potential to prevent harm to the patient) in Phase 1 and 32 in Phase 2. There were no significant differences in the pharmaceutical activity rates in the two phases. Telepharmacy therefore may be an effective method of providing pharmaceutical reviews for patients in rural inpatient facilities, without an on-site pharmacist.