Clinical pharmacist activity in an oncology and haematology unit significantly improves and secures patient care

Summary Introduction Through clinical pharmacy, the pharmacist can contribute to the continuous improvement of care for hospitalized patients. The objective of the present study was to conduct a descriptive analysis of the pharmaceutical interventions (PI) on medical prescriptions and assess their relevance. Methodology A prospective and noncomparative study was conducted over a period of 6 months in the oncology and haematology ward in one French teaching hospital. A pharmacy student integrated this ward, part-time, during the medical rounds and performed the analysis of all the prescriptions issued and did a PI when appropriate. The methodology developed and validated by the French Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SFPC) was used. Moreover, the clinical impact of these addresses was evaluated. Results During the study period, 22.4% of the patients were identified with concern to 188 PI. The acceptance rate of PI by physicians on drug prescriptions was comparable to previously published data; most of these have a clinical impact considered to be at least significant. With regards to the clinical significance of PI, medical or pharmaceutical points of view exhibited no statistical differences (Student t test). Discussion/conclusion The results reinforce the idea that oral communication and a regular presence in the unit encourage the integration of the pharmacists in health care teams. The present study has enabled the researchers to target treatment at risk and show that pharmacotherapeutic problems may have significant clinical impact for the patient.