empower science for patient care
Intensive Care Pharmacist – ongoing
​
Publications as part of the project
Intensive Care Pharmacists team at the 10th anniversary celebration
​
Congratulations to the 3 hospital pharmacies whose projects were selected after completing the two-stage selection process. There were 17 project submissions, thank you to everyone who got involved here.
-
Hospital pharmacy at Marienhaus Klinikum Mainz
-
Hospital pharmacy of the Starnberg Clinic
-
Pharmacy of the Marienhospital, Stuttgart
We wish the selected hospital pharmacies a successful project period and look forward to a productive cooperation.
Starnberg, from left to right: Dr Ulrich Jurgan, specialist in anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, Dr Angela Ihbe-Heffinger, Dr Katharina Endres, Intensive Care Pharmacists, Dr Andreas Rüchardt, Senior Consultant in Pneumology
Hospital pharmacy of the Starnberg Clinic
​
Interdisciplinary, cross-functional medication and risk management in the digitalization environment of intensive care medicine
The medication process in intensive care medicine is complex and, with a prevalence of 4.5-34.1%, leads to ADRs that are mostly predictable (74-90%) and largely avoidable (9-63%). The administration of parenterals requires special attention in the context of Corona pandemic, temporary work and digital pressure – with medication errors being particularly serious in this context. Therefore, from October 2022 the Intensive Care Pharmacists Dr. Katharina Endres and Dr. Angela Ihbe-Heffinger intend to establish pharmaceutical risk minimization strategies for patients of the interdisciplinary intensive care unit, shared by the departments of internal medicine and anesthesiology at Klinikum Starnberg. The project focuses on the expansion of prepared, interdisciplinary ward rounds to solve drug-related problems (DRP), the standardization of parenteral drug administration and the promotion of its acceptance through preconfigured data sets in electronic prescribing systems. The interdisciplinary exchange between intensive care physicians, nursing staff and clinical pharmacists aims to increase drug therapy safety (AMTS).
Stuttgart, from left to right: Dr Felix Hamler, Assistant Physician Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Barbara Reistle, Intensive Care Pharmacist
Pharmacy of the Marienhospital
Stuttgart
​
The "Critical Care Pharmacist” (ICP) acts as the contact person for medicines in the intensive care unit (surgical patients) at the Marienhospital Stuttgart and for subsequent wards in the event of transfer.
In addition to attending ward rounds, his tasks include medication analysis on the basis of laboratory values, followed by advice on therapy dose adjustment or avoidance of undesirable side effects (pharmaceutical intervention). In the initial phase of the project, a representative sample of patients is used to assess the current state of pharmaceutical interventions. In the project phase, several standards will be revised and established through training. These include, for example, dose adjustment in renal insufficiency/dialysis as well as infusion regimens and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). In addition, the change from the intensive care unit to the normal ward is to be facilitated
pharmaceutically by instructions in the doctor's letter. Drug safety will thus also be improved in normal wards.
After the standards have been established, a patient sample will be collected again and compared with the initial phase in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical interventions.
Mainz, from left to right: PD Dr Matthias David, Head of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Dr Bianca Weyer, Intensive Care Pharmacist, Dr Peter Obitz, Head of Pharmacy
Hospital pharmacy at
Marienhaus Klinikum Mainz
Since autumn 2022, an Intensive Care Pharmacist (ICP) has been a permanent member of the treatment team at Marienhaus Klinikum Mainz. For the Marienhaus Group, this is unique and intended to serve as a model for implementing further pharmacists on the ward.
Intensive care patients often have highly complex clinical conditions, polypharmacy, and organ dysfunctions. It is common for them to receive about 20 different medicines via different routes of administration. Here, the ICP supports the attending physicians in adapting the medication accordingly in the case of interactions or kidney or liver insufficiencies. Moreover the ICP is the contact person for the nursing staff for questions about solutions, compatibility or application via probes. In addition, as a link to the pharmacy, the ICP is the first point of contact in the event of supply shortages and the procurement of special medicines and medical devices. The ICP is involved in writing standards and providing further training. This way, the medication process improves, and drug therapy safety for patients in the intensive care unit increases.
During the 2-year project phase, the ICP is integrated into the programme of the Patient & Clinical Pharmacy Foundation. In addition, an interprofessional steering group accompanies the ICP's activities within the hospital.
​
​
Project coordinator:
Dr. Heike Hilgarth, Leipzig
31.12.2021
Deadline for level 1
​​
Downloads (in german):
​
​
Application form head of pharmacy
​
Application form head of department
​
31.01.2022
Decision level 1
​
15.03.2022
Deadline for level 2
​
01.09.2022
Project launch
​
31.08.2024
Expected end of project
​
​
Tender
​
​
In intensive care patients pharmacokinetic and -dynamic parameter might change due to pathophysiological changes. In addition, the use of complex treatments and pharmacotherapy, frequent changes in drug-therapy and doses as well as the use of drugs with a narrow therapeutic index contribute to a high risk of adverse drug events. Since 2010 the German Interdisciplinary Association of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) recommends the participation of pharmacists on multidisciplinary-ward-rounds on intensive care units at least once a week, as well as continuous availability for consultation. This promotes patient and drug therapy safety and improves clinically relevant parameters such as mortality and length of stay.
An Intensive Care Pharmacist is often an essential member of the interprofessional team in intensive care units internationally, whereas this is not yet established in Germany. The Foundation Patient & Clinical Pharmacy aims to promote the establishment of clinical pharmacy actively and broadly in Germany, and therefore supports the Intensive Care Pharmacist project throughout Germany. Two to three projects are funded which implement and establish clinical pharmacy in the intensive care unit. The foundation supports projects of small and middle-size non-university hospital pharmacies and particularly encourage these applications. Doctorates are excluded.
Pharmacists of a German, non-university hospital pharmacy are eligible to apply. The project is planned for a two-year funding period and includes personnel costs of 50-100% TV-L E14, the scope should be adapted to local conditions. The tender is carried out in a two-stage process.
Submissions are only possible by E-Mail. Questions can be directed to info@pukph.org.