Pharmacist recommendations in an intensive care unit: three-year clinical activities

OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical activities performed and the accepted pharmacist recommendations made by a pharmacist as a part of his/her daily routine in an adult clinical intensive care unit over a period of three years. METHODS A cross-sectional, descriptive, and exploratory study was conducted at a tertiary university hospital from June 2010 to May 2013, in which pharmacist recommendations were categorized and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 834 pharmacist recommendations (278 per year, on average) were analyzed and distributed across 21 categories. The recommendations were mainly made to physicians (n = 699; 83.8%) and concerned management of dilutions (n = 120; 14.4%), dose adjustment (n = 100; 12.0%), and adverse drug reactions (n = 91; 10.9%). A comparison per period demonstrated an increase in pharmacist recommendations with larger clinical content and a reduction of recommendations related to logistic aspects, such as drug supply, over time. The recommendations concerned 948 medications, particularly including systemic anti-infectious agents. CONCLUSION The role that the pharmacist played in the intensive care unit of the institution where the study was performed evolved, shifting from reactive actions related to logistic aspects to effective clinical participation with the multi-professional staff (proactive actions).