empower science for patient care
Renal Pharmacist
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Project
Image licence: APS e.V./M.Schulz
Award ceremony 1st Award for Patient Safety of the Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit (APS)
From left to right:
Laudator Xenia Freifrau von Maltzan, award winners Ina Richling (pharmD), Dr. von Ameln-Mayerhofer, Larissa Albus, Jana Rudolph, Ann-Kristin Gerke, Katrin Bayerlein
30.06.2019
Deadline for level 1
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Downloads (in german):
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Application form head of pharmacy
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Application form head of department
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07.2019
Decision level 1
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15.09.2019
Deadline for level 2
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01.02.2020
Project launch
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31.12.2021
Expected end of project
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Pharmacy Rudolf Virchow Hospital Glauchau
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The renal pharmacist project started on February 1st, 2020 at the Rudolf Virchow Hospital Glauchau. The pharmacists Jana Rudolph and Sarah Leuschner have been screening surgical, geriatric and psychiatric patients for renal impairment on a daily basis. The patients charts of all patients with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (CKD-EPI) were reviewed for renal and other drug-related problems.
Up to now, the renal pharmacist conducted more than 894 medication reviews with 319 intervention recommendations forwarded as written consultations. As a consequenceof the new pharmaceutical service at the point of care senior surgeons and orthopedics asked for pharmaceutical consultation on their wards as well.
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Central Pharmacy KKiMK, Iserlohn
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Since February 2020 the renal pharmacists Ina Richling, Pharm. D. (UFl, USA) and Dr. Philipp Müller supervised all patients with renal impairment at the Catholic hospital im Märkischen Kreis. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they conducted interdisciplinary chart rounds with senior physicians onsurgical and geriatric wards. Patients with an eGFR < 50 ml/min /1.73 m2 (CKD-EPI) were selected and reviewed for renal drug-related problems (DRP). The necessary drug or dose changes to solve DRP were directly discussed with the physicians and documented as a written consultation in ORBIS. In addition, at the request of the physicians, a pharmacist-led medication review was carried out once a week for all hospital patients with an eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73 m2. 1231 patients have received pharmaceutical care from the renal pharmacists. Through a press interview with the pharmacist Ina Richling and the senior physician in charge of the orthopedic and trauma surgery Boris Owandner the project was made public.
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Central Pharmacy Klinikverbund Südwest
Sindelfingen
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The renal pharmacist project started on June 1st, 2020 at the Hospital Sindelfingen. The team around Dr. Andreas von Ameln-Mayerhofer, Ms. Meike Sieg (until August 31st, 2021) and Ms. Larissa Albus (since September 1st, 2021) has conducted medication reviews of all patients with an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (CKD-EPI ). The renal function was filtered manually from the laboratory program. The medications were checked for renal as well as other drug-related problems. The intervention proposals were primarily discussed with physicians personally, otherwise written consultations were stored in the patient’s chart. As part of the geriatric complex treatment, the pharmacists accompanied the physicians once a week on ward rounds. In addition, recommendations were offered on patient-specific drug dosage, in particular to avoid the nephrotoxic effects of aminoglycosides and vancomycin.​
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Pharmacy Hospital Starnberg
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Since January 2020 the renal pharmacists Katrin Bayerlein and Ann-Kristin Gerke have been identifying drug-related problems (DRP) twice a week in patients with moderate to severe kidney disease (CKD stage 3b and 4) across all departments at the Hospital Starnberg.
In doing so, they contributed to an interdisciplinary nephrological care concept. The practical solution of DRP was recommended on the basis of a comprehensive pharmacist-led medication review . In cooperation with the head nephrologist Prof. Dr. Hans-Paul Schobel, the renal pharmacists carried out 1435 medication reviews. Through the interdisciplinary exchange between medical doctors in charge, the nephrologist and the pharmacist, the patient safety of patients with renal impairment increased.
A press release on the World Patient Safety Day 2021 communicated the project to a wider audience on a local level.
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Project coordinator:
Dr. Sarah Seiberth, Marktredwitz
Tender
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The Foundation is grateful for the high interest in its call for proposals (13 project proposals were received) and wishes the successful applicants the very best in the implementation of their work!
Patients with impaired renal function are at high risk of drug-related problems, resulting from, e.g. unconsidered contraindications, inappropriate drug selection or poor dose adjustment. Besides increasing the risk for adverse drug reactions, this may result in longer hospital stays.
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About 20 % of hospitalised patients have impaired kidney function, creating a need for pharmacists to engage in different levels of medical care in the hospital to prevent kidney failure. In addition to checking if the medication is correctly adapted to kidney function, pharmacists may contribute to better outcomes for patients by participating in, among others, training for patients, supporting anaemia-, osteoporosis- and cardiovascular management.
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Although many countries have hospital renal pharmacists, these are not established in Germany. The Foundation Patient & Clinical Pharmacy aims to actively and broadly promote the establishment of clinical pharmacy in Germany, particularly in the inpatient sector. Actually, it is launching the Germany-wide Renal Pharmacist project to fund two to three renal pharmacists. These positions will be appropriately adapted and integrated into the local hospital environment to implement clinical pharmacy practices in the care of patients with renal insufficiency. The aim is to support practical projects of non-university hospital pharmacies. Doctorates are excluded.
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Only pharmacists working in a German non-university hospital pharmacy are eligible to apply. The project, scheduled to run for two years (01.01.2020-31.12.2021), will fund personnel costs (50-100 % TV-L E14) and the level of support will be adapted to the scope of the project. Submissions will be evaluated in a two-stage process.