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PURPOSE: Results of a study evaluating the implementation and impact of a pharmacist-driven penicillin skin testing (PST) service for patients prescribed alternative antibiotics in the community hospital setting are reported. METHODS: A prospective pilot service in which patients with a documented penicillin allergy (type I, immunoglobulin E [IgE]-mediated) who were prescribed alternative antibiotics received PST by a trained pharmacist was implemented; if test results were negative, the allergy was de-labeled from their electronic medical record. The primary objective was the percentage of patients switched to first-line antibiotics. Secondary objectives included length of stay (LOS) and inpatient antimicrobial costs to the health system. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were proactively identified and received PST by a pharmacist. Of those tested, all were negative, with no type I (IgE-mediated) hypersensitivity reactions to the test itself or to the beta-lactam antibiotic administered thereafter; 68.2% (15/22) were successfully transitioned to a beta-lactam after PST. As a result, a decrease in the use of fluoroquinolones and vancomycin and an increase in use of narrow penicillin-based antibiotics and first- and second-generation cephalosporins were observed. The mean ± S.D. LOS per patient was 7.41 ± 6.1 days, and the total cost of inpatient antimicrobial therapy to the health system was $1,698.88. CONCLUSION: A pharmacist-driven PST service was successfully implemented in a community hospital setting.

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PURPOSE: The creation of a clinical support role for a pharmacy technician within a primary care resource center is described. SUMMARY: In the Primary Care Resource Center (PCRC) Project, hospital-based care transition coordination hubs staffed by nurses and pharmacist teams were created in 6 independent community hospitals. At the largest site, patient volume for targeted diseases challenged the ability of the PCRC pharmacist to provide expected elements of care to targeted patients. Creation of a new pharmacy technician clinical support role was implemented as a cost-effective option to increase the pharmacist's efficiency. The pharmacist's work processes were reviewed and technical functions identified that could be assigned to a specially trained pharmacy technician under the direction of the PCRC pharmacist. Daily tasks performed by the pharmacy technician included maintenance of the patient roster and pending discharges, retrieval and documentation of pertinent laboratory and diagnostic test information from the patient's medical record, assembly of patient medication education materials, and identification of discrepancies between disparate systems' medication records. In the 6 months after establishing the PCRC pharmacy technician role, the pharmacist's completion of comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs) for target patients increased by 40.5% (p = 0.0223), driven largely by a 42.4% (p < 0.0001) decrease in the time to complete each chart review. CONCLUSION: The addition of a pharmacy technician to augment pharmacist care in a PCRC team extended the reach of the pharmacist and allowed more time for the pharmacist to engage patients. Technician support enabled the pharmacist to complete more CMRs and reduced the time required for chart reviews.

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PURPOSE: The adherence to and effectiveness and safety of a timed, electronic, assessment-driven potassium-replacement protocol (TARP) were compared with an electronic nurse-driven replacement protocol (NRP) are reported. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted in a community hospital evaluating protocol adherence, effectiveness, and safety for 2 potassium-replacement protocols. All adults on medical units with an order for potassium replacement per protocol during the 3-month trial periods were reviewed. All patients requiring potassium replacement per protocol were included in the analysis. Adherence to the protocol was assessed by evaluating the dose of potassium administered and performance of reassessments. Effectiveness of the protocol was assessed by evaluating the time to achieve target potassium levels. Safety was assessed by evaluating the route of administration and occurrence of hyperkalemia. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients treated using potassium-replacement protocols required potassium replacement during the study period, with 148 patients in the NRP group requiring 491 instances of potassium replacement. In the TARP group a total of 564 instances requiring potassium replacement corresponded to 152 patients. Of the 491 instances requiring replacement in the NRP group, the correct dose was administered and reassessment performed 117 times (23.8%). Overall adherence (p < 0.05), correct dose given (p < 0.05), average time from blood draw to potassium replacement (p < 0.0001), use of oral replacement (p < 0.05), and time to achieve target potassium level within 12 hours (p < 0.05) were significantly improved in the TARP group. CONCLUSION: The TARP improved the effectiveness and safety of potassium-replacement therapy over the traditional NRP without negatively affecting timeliness of care.

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