Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Driven Lab Monitoring Reminder Process

摘要

Approximately half of the U.S. population uses at least one prescription drug. During hospital outpatient department visits alone, 248 million drugs are ordered annually, and 75% of visits involve drug therapy. While these medications have substantial therapeutic benefits for their users, they can also confer serious risks leading to injury, hospi-talization, or death. An estimated 700,000 Americans are treated annually for adverse drug events (ADEs) in emergency departments, with about 117,000 patients being admitted. Regular laboratory monitoring is a key tool in the detection and prevention of these toxicities. Additionally, it detects suboptimal drug levels and guides clinical decisions. Routine lab monitoring is especially important, as both suboptimal and toxic levels may manifest asymptomatically while having the potential for significant morbidity and mortality.