Artikel
Safety of drugs in the outpatient and inpatient nursing sector
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Veröffentlicht: | 30. Oktober 2006 |
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Gliederung
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Background: During official visits to old people’s and nursing homes, pharmacy inspectors have in the past repeatedly noticed deficits in the handling of drugs. Commissioned by the “social pharmacy” working group of the local health conference of the city of Hamm, systematic inspections have since the year 2005 been carried out to examine quality aspects in the provision of drugs for nursing patients in the inpatient and outpatient sector.
Methodology: Unannounced collection of data on the frequency and type of problems concerning the storage, provision and application of drugs as well as updating of the drug documentation during normal operation hours. Moreover: development of solution strategies and recommendations for action for the expert groups involved.
Results: On average, each of the in most cases multi-morbid inhabitants/patients undergoing medical treatment regularly received more than 7 medicaments and moreover 1.6 medicaments on request. Main quality deficits: inadequate documentation of medications (not complete, updated and correct), mixing up due to the prescription of various generic medicaments, difficult portioning of more highly dosed medicaments and incorrect observance of the right drug-taking times; the latter occurring above all in the outpatient sector.
Conclusions: Patients in need of nursing care must be better supported with regard to correct drug-taking times, for example by sufficiently frequent contacts with nursing staff approved by health insurance funds. In the inpatient as well as outpatient sector, a more efficient communication between doctors, pharmacists and nursing staff has to be achieved in the first place.