Clinical pharmacist’s daily role in the emergency department of a community hospital

The value of direct pharmacist involvement in emergency department (ED) patient care has been the subject of numerous articles, many of which have focused on the justification of pharmacists’ positions through cost-containment measured and adverse drug event prevention.1,–8 According to the 1999 Institute of Medicine report, the ED is one of three hospital departments with “high error rates with serious consequences most likely.”9 Nationwide, the number of ED visits grew by 26% between 1993 and 2003. According to data from 1997, approximately 17 million ED visits associated with medication-related problems occur per year, resulting in 8.7 million hospital admissions and $76.6 billion in hospital costs.10 Any contribution a pharmacist can make in the ED to improve medication adherence, safety, and appropriate usage will provide a considerable benefit to health systems nationwide. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has supported and encouraged the development of pharmacy practice in the ED and is currently preparing a position paper on this topic.11