SHPA urges 7 day coverage
November 11, 2013
The Society of Hospital
Pharmacists of Australia has
highlighted a new study which
found a significantly increased risk
of death due to medicine related
problems for patients admitted to
hospital on the weekend.
The researchers looked at over
3 million admissions to NSW
hospitals in 2000-2007, with SHPA
saying it shows “why we need
seven days/week clinical pharmacy
services in hospitals”.
Patient groups identified as
having significant risks after
weekend admissions “are also likely
to require multiple medicines and
be most at risk of medicine-related
problems,” the SHPA added.
SHPA said the population-based
study (CLICK HERE), published late
last month in the British Medical
Journal confirms the approach
in the recently released SHPA
Standards of Practice for Clinical
Pharmacy Services, which says that
pharmacist activities described
support medication management
plans, reduce morbidity, mortality
and the cost of care.
“Pharmacy services should be
available when patients require
them, 7 days per week and for
extended hours,” the standards say.
“Limiting services to business
hours and 5 days per week reduces
the timeliness of service delivery
and may impact on patient care”.
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