Drug Utilization Review in an Extended Care Facility

Abstract

Clinical pharmacy has expanded the scope of pharmaceutical services and one of the newer areas of involvement is the extended care facility.

The author discusses the need, because of a limited budget, for better financial control of drug usage in Lions Gate Hospital's new 170 bed extended care unit. A need for pharmacy involvement in geriatrics because of the rising population of elderly people in extended care facilities and nursing homes and the complexities of using drugs in the elderly is discussed.

The new extended care unit was provided with traditional pharmacy services and a pharmacist to participate in a patient review committee. This ‘pharmacist monitored the patients’ drug usage and made recommendations to the committee where applicable.

The lowered costs of drug therapy in the extended care unit and the more efficacious use of certain medications are discussed in terms of pharmacy involvement. The author concludes that the pharmacist can make a significant contribution to the more economical use of drugs in extended care facilities and has a potential valuable role in improving patient care in this area.

Since Its Inception, The Broad Concept of Clinical pharmacy has found application in many areas where traditional pharmacy never ventured, in addition to extending and improving existing services. The term, “clinical pharmacy,” is intended to encompass those aspects of pharmaceutical services which are oriented toward rational therapeutics and improved patient care. The pharmacy department of Lions Gate Hospital has implemented clinical pharmacy as related to acute care patients since 1970, then as a pilot project. In June, 1971, these services were extended to include the new 170-bed extended care unit (ECU) when it opened as an addition to the 485-bed acute hospital.