Optimization of critical care pharmacy clinical services: A gap analysis approach

Abstract

What gets measured, gets improved. —Robert Sharma Every critically ill patient requires care by a critical care pharmacist (CCP) for best possible outcomes. Indeed, these highly trained professionals generate benefit through direct patient care (eg, pharmacist-driven protocols, medication monitoring, etc), participation on the intensive care unit (ICU) interprofessional team (eg, pharmacotherapy recommendations, team education, etc), and leadership in the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives.1 However, clinical CCP services are not provided for all ICU patients, and CCP staffing models often vary substantially across ICUs in a given hospital and among ICUs in the United States.2-4 In this narrative review, we use a gap analysis approach to define current levels of clinical CCP services, identify barriers to reaching an optimal level of these services, and propose strategies focused on expanding clinical CCP services and justifying those that currently exist. The broad scope...