Pharmacokinetic Consultation Service Workload Measurement Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v44i6.2801Keywords:
clinical pharmacy, drug monitoring, pharmacokinetics, pharmacy services, time study, work measurement, étude de temps, mesure du travail, pharmacie clinique, pharmacocinétique, pharmacovigilance, services pharmaceutiquesAbstract
ABSTRACT
A study was conducted to collect work measurement data for pharmacokinetic drug consultation services. A stopwatch was used to measure the time required to perform pharmacokinetic consultations in the Ottawa General Hospital, a 530-bed tertiary care teaching hospital.
Ten pharmacists provided 166 drug consults primarily for phenytoin, aminoglycosides, digoxin, and theophylline. The time required to obtain drug level measurements averaged 1.10 minutes. Consults required an average of 8.28 (SD = 4.72) minutes. Initial consults took 10.35 (SD = 5.07) minutes, while repeat consults took 6.62 (SD = 3.67) minutes. The difference was significant (t = 5.48, df = 164, P < 0.001). No significant differences were found among consults for different drugs nor between primary and secondary patient coverage areas. There was a significant difference in the time required to perform a consult among pharmacists. Consult times were considerably less than those reported by the Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Workload Measurement Study.
RÉSUMÉ
On a mesuré le travail fourni dans le cadre des consultations en pharmacocinétique. Au moyen d'un chronomètre, on a déterminé le temps nécessaire aux consultations offertes à l'Hôpital général d'Ottawa, établissement universitaire de soins tertiaires de 530 lits.
Dix pharmaciens ont donné 166 consultations principalement sur la phénytoïne, les aminosides, la digoxine et la théophylline. Il faut en moyenne 1,10 minutes pour déterminer la concentration du médicament. Les consultations prennent en moyenne 8,28 (É-T. = 4,72) minutes. La consultation initiale demande 10,35 (É-T = 5,07) minutes, tandis que les subséquentes durent 6,62 (É.-T. = 3,67) minutes. La différence est significative (t = 5,48, df = 164, P < 0,001). On n'observe aucun écart significatif entre les temps de consultation pour divers médicaments, ni entre la détermination primaire et secondaire de la concentration chez le patient. Par contre, le temps de consultation varie sensiblement d'un pharmacien à l'autre. Les temps de consultation observés sont considérablement inférieurs à ceux rapportés dans l'étude sur la charge de travail des pharmaciens d'hôpitaux.
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