Impact of pharmacist medication review for paediatric patients: an observational study

Abstract

Abstract Background Paediatric patients are at high risk of medication errors and adverse drug events due to complex medical care. Objective To assess the impact of pharmacist medication review for paediatric patients. Setting A single-centre prospective observational study was performed over 33 months, from February 2018 to October 2020 in a French Hospital. Method Clinical pharmacists provided medication counselling at a hospital and conducted telephone follow-ups between 3 and 7 days after discharge of paediatric patients with chronic diseases for whom treatment was introduced or modified during hospitalisation or hospital consultations. Main outcome measures The incidence of drug-related problems (DRPs), the number and type of pharmacist intervention and paediatrician acceptance rates were assessed. Parents’ understanding and drug-related needs were compared before and after medication review. Time to outpatient treatment and patient satisfaction were determined. Statistical analyses were performed in Excel. Results In total, 195 paediatric patients were included. Pharmacists identified 65 interventions, 95% of which were accepted. The most frequent DRPs included inappropriate drug administration (32.3%), herb–drug interactions (24.6%) and dose selection (17%). Parents’ knowledge increased by 28% from baseline after pharmacist’s medication counselling. Parents’ drug-related needs concerning administration and side effects decreased by 67% and 49%, respectively, following the pharmacist’s medication counselling. Most (75%) of the patients were able to get their treatment immediately after discharge. Conclusion Clinical pharmacists can improve medication safety for children during the discharge process or consultations, by reducing prescription errors, optimising administration, counselling patients or parents and helping to ensure care continuity.