Nationwide current situation of hospital pharmacists in intensive care units.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the current situation of the hospital pharmacist in intensive care units and their activity in care, in teaching  and in research.

METHOD: Multicenter and prospective study through a survey  disseminated by the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy, which  consisted of several sections: personal and hospital's data, hospital's  characteristics, pharmacist's involvement in intensive care units and  teaching.

RESULTS: A number of 58 completed surveys were obtained. The  number of pharmacists involved in intensive care units was 1 in 77.6%  of cases, assisting an average of 30.8 beds (5-70). Experience of  pharmacists in the intensive care unit was 5 years on average (2  months-25 years). Visitor's pass assistance and shift changes were  between "never" by 36.2% to "daily" by 22.4%. Out of respondents,  93.1% reported a part-time intensive care unit involvement. Regarding  activities undertaken, between 40-60% of pharmacists manage  narcotics, teaching at intensive care unit, conciliation and safety.  Between 60-80%, pharmacists cover clinical nutrition, notarization,  optimization of pharmacokinetics and antibiotics; and 84.5% perform  pharmacotherapy follow-up. Out of the surveyed pharmacists, 77.6%  have specialized medical training, rotating intensive care unit residents  in 86% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS: Most of the surveyed hospitals have one part-time  pharmacist in these units. In order to improve the quality of  pharmaceutical care of critically ill patients, it would be necessary to  extend the involvement in time and staff, regarding the current  situation, and a greater number of hospitals should include pharmacists  in hospital intensive care units.