Strategies for implementing emergency department pharmacy services: results from the 2007 ASHP Patient Care Impact Program

Abstract

Purpose: Strategies proposed during a patient care impact program for implementing emergency department (ED) pharmacy services are described.

Summary: In June 2007, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists developed a patient care impact program entitled "Introducing an Emergency Department Pharmacist into Your Institution" to provide experiential training to practicing pharmacists seeking to establish ED services in their institutions. Under the guidance of four mentors, 19 pharmacists from a variety of practice settings, including community-based hospitals and academic and tertiary-care-based institutions, were selected for participation the six-month program. Participants were divided into two groups, and each group was assigned two mentors. During their initial meeting, participants identified anticipated challenges to implementation of pharmacy services in the ED and began to define strategies with their mentors for effectively managing the anticipated challenges. Each group participated in one-hour monthly teleconferences with their mentors. In addition to monthly teleconferences, participants regularly contacted their mentors for additional assistance and several visited their mentors' institutions. Participants developed job descriptions for an ED pharmacist, developed a rationale and justification for implementing pharmacy services in the ED, obtained approval and support from appropriate parties for the ED pharmacist's role, developed plans for introducing a pharmacist to the ED, and developed quality-assurance methods to monitor the effectiveness of the pharmacist's role.

Conclusion: Despite the diversity in practice settings, participants of the program faced similar challenges in implementing ED pharmacy services at their institutions. Various strategies toward solutions to these challenges were shared among participants and mentors.