Redesign of the Clinical Pharmacy Practice Model in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Medellin, Colombia

摘要

The pharmacy function in hospitals is, by nature and history, associated with administrative activities, such as logistics and the purchase, storage, preparation, and distribution of drugs. This model, which focuses on medication as a product, has evolved over decades. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, it has progressed rapidly, mainly in the United States and some European countries, toward a patient-centred model, in response to changes required by the health care system intended to ensure the effectiveness of medicines and their safe and cost-effective use. Currently, direct patient care by clinical pharmacists within multidisciplinary teams is recognized as one of the best pharmacy practice models because it minimizes risks, care costs, morbidity and mortality rates, as well as time spent in hospital; it also improves pharmacotherapy results.