Investigating the Relative Significance of Drug-Related Problem Categories.

The aim of the review was to investigate whether an assessment of clinical significance can be related to specific drug-related problems (DRPs) and hence may assist in prioritizing individual categories of DRP categorization systems. The literature search using Google Scholar was performed for the period 1990 to 2013 and comprised primary research studies of clinical pharmacy interventions including DRP and clinical significance assessments. Two reviewers assessed the titles, abstracts, and full-text papers individually, and inclusion was determined by consensus.

Clinical Outcomes Used in Clinical Pharmacy Intervention Studies in Secondary Care.

The objective was to investigate type, frequency and result of clinical outcomes used in studies to assess the effect of clinical pharmacy interventions in inpatient care. The literature search using Pubmed.gov was performed for the period up to 2013 using the search phrases: "Intervention(s)" and "pharmacist(s)" and "controlled" and "outcome(s)" or "effect(s)".

Clinical Effects of a Pharmacist Intervention in Acute Wards - A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical effect of a clinical pharmacist (CP) intervention upon admission to hospital on inpatient harm and to assess a potential educational bias. Over 16 months, 593 adult patients taking ≥4 medications daily were included from three Danish acute medicine wards. Patients were randomized to either the CP intervention or the usual care (prospective control).

The challenges of outcome research.

Cognitive pharmacy trials seek to identify interventions that benefit patients. The potential benefits of an intervention are primarily evaluated by outcome measures. The question then is: What is the optimal outcome measure? Unfortunately, the question remains unsolved.

[Development of patient-specific issues in relation to medicines is a challenge to all health-care professionals].

As a consequence of implementing clinical pharmacy at hospitals in Denmark, the need of defining some of the services delivered appeared: medication anamnesis, medication reconciliation, medication review and prescription review. Consensus was reached on the definitions with qualification by 20 colleagues from hospital pharmacies throughout the country as well as from external stakeholders. As an additional benefit, the definitions could cover the pharmacy services performed in primary care as well, which may help improve communication in the interface management of medication treatment.

Evaluation of a controlled, national collaboration study on a clinical pharmacy service of screening for risk medications.

Background: Risk medications are frequently associated with adverse events and hospitalisations.

Objective: To evaluate a risk medication screening service for in-patients at Danish hospitals.

Setting: Danish hospitals.

Clinical pharmacist service in the acute ward.

Background: The majority of hospitalised patients have drug-related problems. Clinical pharmacist services including medication history, medication reconciliation and medication review may reduce the number of drug-related problems. Acute and emergency hospital services have changed considerably during the past decade in Denmark, and the new fast-paced workflows pose new challenges for the provision of clinical pharmacist service.

Hospital admission interviews are time-consuming with several interruptions.

Introduction: The admission interview is an important procedure to reduce medication errors. Studies indicate that physicians do not spend much time on the interview and that the major obstacles are lack of time and heavy workload. The aim of this study was to measure the time physicians spend on admission interviews and to describe factors that affect time consumption.

Antimicrobial activity of selected South African medicinal plants.

Background: Nearly 3,000 plant species are used as medicines in South Africa, with approximately 350 species forming the most commonly traded and used medicinal plants. In the present study, twelve South African medicinal plants were selected and tested for their antimicrobial activities against eight microbial species belonging to fungi, Mycobacteria, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Methods: The radiometric respiratory technique using the BACTEC 460 system was used for susceptibility testing against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the liquid micro-broth dilution was used for other antimicrobial assays.