Pharmacy drug safety and strengthening of pharmacy practices

Abstract

This systematic review aims to examine medication safety practices within hospital pharmacy settings and identify effective strategies for enhancing medication safety. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2023. Studies that focused on medication safety interventions within hospital pharmacy settings were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed using predefined criteria. A narrative synthesis approach was employed to summarize the findings. A total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The included studies covered a range olf interventions, including pharmacist-led medication reconciliation programs, barcode medication administration, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and interprofessional collaboration. The implementation of pharmacist-led medication reconciliation programs demonstrated significant reductions in medication discrepancies and improvements in patient safety. Barcode-assisted medication administration significantly reduced medication administration errors. The integration of CDSS in medication ordering processes showed promise in reducing prescribing errors and enhancing medication safety. Effective interprofessional collaboration was identified as a criticalfactor in enhancing medication safety outcomes. This systematic review highlights the importance of medication safety practices in hospital pharmacy settings. The findings support the implementation of pharmacist-led medication reconciliation programs, barcode medication administration, integration of CDSS, and fostering interprofessional collaboration as effective strategies for enhancing medication safety. These findings have implications for healthcare professionals and policymakers seeking to improve medication safety practices and ultimately enhance patient care.