ASHP National Survey of Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings: Clinical Services and Workforce—2024

PURPOSE: Results of the 2024 ASHP National Survey of Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings are presented. METHODS: Pharmacy directors at 1,497 general and children's medical-surgical hospitals in the United States were surveyed using a mixed-mode method of contact by email and mail. Survey completion was online using Qualtrics. IQVIA supplied data on hospital characteristics; the survey sample was drawn from IQVIA's hospital database. RESULTS: The response rate was 16.7%. Pharmacists routinely provide clinical pharmacy services to a majority of inpatients in over 75% of hospitals and are most commonly assigned to general medical-surgical (73.3%), critical care (68.5%), oncology (56.9%), cardiology (48.5%), infectious disease/antimicrobial stewardship (48.1%) units and the emergency department (46.5%). Pharmacists independently prescribe in 18.5% of hospitals. Progress towards the ASHP Practice Advancement Initiative (PAI) 2030 goals has been mixed; except for technicians performing more advanced roles, measures have remained relatively stable over the past 5 years. Over 80% of pharmacy directors reported perceived shortages of experienced technicians, and about 60% reported perceived shortages of clinical specialists and clinical coordinators. CONCLUSION: Hospital pharmacy departments are facing many challenges, including worsening shortages of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, drug shortages, reimbursement and formulary concerns, and regulatory compliance. Despite these challenges, inpatient and ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services continue to expand across the country, with most hospitals routinely providing care to a majority of patients in over three-quarters of hospitals. While progress toward other PAI 2030 focused initiatives has been mixed over the past 5 years, responsibilities of pharmacy technicians are trending toward advanced roles.