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Abstract

The purpose of this report is to define, classify, and compare therapeutic problems in skilled and intermediate nursing facility patients. Medical record documentation of 1,136 patient interviews and resulting drug therapy recommendations, by the consultant pharmacist, are used for the comparison. Routine drug therapy reviews were documented monthly on each patient. Additionally, drug therapy was reviewed and documented upon request of a consultation.

Retrospective analysis of 976 monthly drug therapy review notes on 243 long term care patients revealed no significant difference in the number or types of problems identified for skilled, or intermediate care, facility patients. The recommendations of these notes were followed 81.6 percent of the time, indicating that the physician population agreed significant problems had been identified. Analysis of 160 notes of consultation again revealed no significant difference between skilled and intermediate long term care patients, with respect to the number or types of problems identified. The compliance rate for the notes of consultation was 98.7 percent. The conclusion is made that skilled and intermediate patients do not differ in the need for therapeutic monitoring by consultant pharmacists.

Several publications are discussed in support of therapeutic monitoring, of both skilled and intermediate patients, by the consultant pharmacist.

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Therapeutic Problems and Nursing Home Patients

Abstract

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References