A Survey on Current Issues and Improvement Measures for Information Sharing by Pharmacists During Care Transitions

Information sharing by pharmacists during transitions of care is essential for maintaining effective and safe pharmacotherapy. To clarify the current status and issues of medication information transfer during both intra- and inter-hospital care transitions, we conducted a questionnaire survey targeting pharmacists, physicians, and nurses at 500 secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Japan. Responses were obtained from 166 facilities. Information sharing was generally implemented during transitions involving general wards; however, the frequency varied substantially among institutions during transitions involving emergency departments, intensive care units, and operating rooms. Facilities with well-established information sharing coexisted with those where such practices were rarely performed. Notably, insufficient information transfer and delays were particularly evident during transitions to emergency departments and from emergency departments to operating rooms or intensive care units. Facilities with pharmacists assigned to emergency departments or operating rooms tended to demonstrate higher frequencies of information sharing. Common barriers included lack of time, inadequate tools or systems, and insufficient sharing of clinically important information such as reasons for medication use, medication change history, and follow-up information. More than 90% of physicians and nurses evaluated pharmacists’ information provision as useful. These findings suggest the need to strengthen pharmacist involvement during care transitions through standardized and efficient information-sharing processes and expanded pharmacist allocation in critical care settings.