Multidisciplinary Sharing of Pharmaceutical Inquiries Regarding Prescriptions via Medical Records: Evaluation of their Usefulness

Pharmaceutical inquiries regarding prescriptions play a crucial role for pharmacists in ensuring the efficacy and safety of medications. While it is essential to transcribe inquiry responses into prescriptions, the limitation lies in effectively conveying the inquiry's contents to a diverse range of professionals by simply entering them into the formulary. This study investigated the effects of implementing a new system by sharing information among various professionals, where the details of pharmaceutical inquiries and their responses were documented in electronic medical records. The study was conducted at Kyoto University Hospital from January to June 2022 (pre-system introduction) and from July to December 2022 (post-system introduction). The number and content of pharmaceutical inquiries and the time taken to modify prescriptions were analyzed. Furthermore, the system was evaluated through a questionnaire survey targeting doctors and nurses. Although no significant changes were observed in the number or content of pharmaceutical inquiries, the time required to modify prescriptions was significantly reduced (pre-system introduction = 33 min; post-system introduction = 16 min; P < 0.05). Questionnaire responses revealed that approximately 70% of the doctors and 50% of the nurses recognized the system's value in enhancing medical safety, improving prescriptions, and reducing working hours. These findings suggest that sharing pharmaceutical inquiry information with a diverse range of professionals improves workflow, while simultaneously enhancing medical safety and prescription efficiency.