Christina Yuen Ki Leung
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Title: Enhancing medication safety and quality of patient care through Continuous Quality Improvements (CQIs) in clinical pharmacy
Biography
Biography: Christina Yuen Ki Leung
Abstract
HKU-SZH has adopted the good pharmacy practices from the West and has implemented an advanced clinical pharmacy system. We regard medication safety and quality of patient care as our highest priorities. We have implemented a number of quality improvement plans since opening. The clinical pharmacists join the doctor-led ward rounds on high risk wards, e.g. ICU. For newly admitted in-patients, the pharmacists carry out medication reconciliation and the information is recorded in the electronic prescribing system. They check the prescriptions for clinical appropriateness and provide drug information. Pharmacists involve actively in the warfarin patient counseling service and stroke clinical pathway on the wards. The pharmacists also liaise closely with the doctors to prepare management policies and guidelines, e.g. high alert drugs policy and Fentanyl patch guideline. Clinical pharmacists participate in the smoking cessation clinic, paediatric and adult respiratory clinics, diabetic clinic to provide patient counseling services. In addition, clinical pharmacists deliver drugs-related educational talks to the patients in the cardiac rehabilitation centre, endocrine ward, and in the out-patient forum (examples of talks: drugs use in hepatitis, safe and effective use of insulin, effective use of inhalation devices, and medication safety in children. Clinical Pharmacists have prepared over 40 patient drug information leaflets and 5 videos relating to inhalation skills to enhance patients’ education. All these improvement plans are to enhance medication safety and optimization of drugs use. The clinical pharmacists have learnt that all these cannot be achieved without an effective multi-disciplinary teamwork and a commitment in continuous quality improvements.
