CONSISTENT AND TIMELY ACCESS TO PHARMACIST MEDICATION ORDER VERIFICATION

To support the principle that all patients should have 24-hour access to a pharmacist responsible for their care, regardless of hospital size or location; further,

To advocate alternative methods of pharmacist review of medication orders (such as remote review) before drug administration when onsite pharmacist review is not available; further,

To support the use of remote medication order review systems that communicate pharmacist approval of orders electronically to the hospital’s automated medication distribution system; further,

To promote the importance of pharmacist access to pertinent patient information, regardless of proximity to patient.

Rationale

Pharmacist prospective order review is a well-supported safety practice that is required by regulatory bodies (e.g., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Conditions of Participation, Joint Commission accreditation standards for hospitals) and in state practice acts. Current ASHP policy supports pharmacist prospective order review and a consistent standard of care for all patients regardless of where that care is provided, including in emergency department settings.