Prioritizing Quality over Quantity: Defining Optimal Pharmacist-to-Patient Ratios to Ensure Comprehensive Direct Patient Care in a Medical or Surgical Unit.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The expanding scope of practice of hospital pharmacists has contributed to improvements in patient care; however, workload remains a barrier to the provision of optimal pharmaceutical care. Established ratios to guide clinical pharmacy staffing on medical and surgical units are lacking in Canada.

Objectives

To determine the pharmacist-to-patient ratio that allows for provision of comprehensive pharmaceutical care to each patient on a medical or surgical unit and to determine which comprehensive care tasks can be delivered in settings where staffing is limited.

Methods

A multiphase study was conducted in 6 hospitals. First, a modified Delphi study was conducted to define and prioritize the elements of comprehensive pharmaceutical care. Next, a work sampling

SUBMITTER: Damji S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10754399 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature