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Drug utilization review in an extended care facility. 1974.

Letourneau KN

Sunnybrook Hospital, Canada.

Clinical pharmacy has expanded the scope of pharmaceutical services and one of the newer areas of involvement is the extended care facility. The author discusses the need, because of a limited budget, for better financial control of drug usage in Lions Gate Hospital's new 170 bed extended care unit. A need for pharmacy involvement in geriatrics because of the rising population of elderly people in extended care facilities and nursing homes and the complexities of using drugs in the elderly is discussed. The new extended care unit was provided with traditional pharmacy services and a pharmacist to participate in a patient review committee. This pharmacist monitored the patients' drug usage and made recommendations to the committee where applicable. The lowered costs of drug therapy in the extended care unit and the more efficacious use of certain medications are discussed in terms of pharmacy involvement. The author concludes that the pharmacist can make a significant contribution to the more economical use of drugs in extended care facilities and has a potential valuable role in improving patient care in this area.

Published 10 May 2006 in Ann Pharmacother, 40(5): 956-62.
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