An Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report found pharmacists play a role in improving patient safety within ambulatory settings, according to Pharmacy Times.
Here are four observations:
1. In its report, AHRQ outlined six elements to enhance ambulatory patient safety, which include:
• Communication
• Teams
• Patient and family engagement
• Organizational approaches
• Health information technology
• Safety culture
2. The report found pharmacists are essential to support excellent medication safety outcomes.
3. Pharmacists who administer ambulatory care services often perform patient assessments, prescribe medication, provide collaborative drug therapy managements and give patients education, among several other tasks.
4. According to the report, the AHRA recommends, "across the continuum of ambulatory care, patients should have access to and have an opportunity to be evaluated by pharmacists who provide ambulatory care."
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