On Monday 20 May 2024, in the Fiume room of Palazzo Donini in Perugia, the press conference was held to present the experimental project “Department pharmacist”, promoted by the Umbria 1 local health authority. The initiative, lasting one year, involves the integration of the professional figure of the pharmacist within the medical oncology department of the Città di Castello hospital. The objective is to support doctors in addressing critical issues related to prescriptive appropriateness, working in synergy with a multidisciplinary team.
[Se non vuoi perdere tutte le novità iscriviti gratis alla newsletter di FarmaciaVirtuale.it. Arriva nella tua casella email alle 7 del mattino. Apri questo link]
Department clinical pharmacist in close contact with multi-disciplinary teams
The project was illustrated by the general director of the USL Umbria 1, Nicola Nardella, by the head of the pharmaceutical service of the USL Umbria 1, Andrea Caprodossi, and by the pharmacist involved in the initiative, Alessandra Mariottini Sarti, medical director of the Pharmaceutical Service of the USL Umbria 1. The press conference saw the participation of numerous institutional figures and professionals in the sector, including the president of the Umbria Region, Donatella Tesei, the director of the Pharmacy of the Perugia hospital, Alessandro D’Arpino, and the director regional Health and Welfare of the Umbria Region, Massimo D’Angelo.
Also present were regional, Order and Fofi representatives
The event was also attended by the coordinator of the pharmaceutical governance control room of the Umbria Region, Fausto Bartolini, the manager of the pharmaceutical assistance section of the Umbria Region, Mariangela Rossi, and the president of the Order of Pharmacists of the province of Perugia, Filiberto Orlacchio . Also present were the general director of the Perugia Hospital, Giuseppe de Filippis, and the general director of the Umbria 2 local health authority, Piero Carsili. Connected remotely, the president of the Federation of Italian Pharmacists’ Orders, Andrea Mandelli, and the president of the Italian Society of Hospital Pharmacy, Arturo Cavaliere, participated.
Continuous improvement of the quality of care
President Orlacchio highlighted that «the figure of the department pharmacist takes on particular relevance in a context like the current one in which Italian healthcare companies are engaged in clinical governance activities and are directly responsible for the continuous improvement of the quality of care and services provided. It is configured as an indispensable tool in creating an environment that favors the expression of clinical excellence compatible with the allocated economic resources. The traditional role of the hospital pharmacist, involved in the procurement and distribution of drugs and medical devices across the company in which he works, must necessarily change, drawing inspiration from long-established European and American realities.
The addresses of clinical pharmacy
Orlacchio then recalled that “in several European countries the hospital pharmacist is a department figure and the need for a comparison with these realities is felt”. Therefore «what is foreseen in the “The Department Pharmacist” project is in line with the most recent clinical pharmacy guidelines, which see the pharmacist becoming an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team and playing a more healthcare role that is in line with what must be his university and professional training path”. As explained by the President of the Order of Pharmacists of Perugia «in Umbria the transformation is already underway: the pharmacist is a key element of the healthcare team who participates in the choices of pharmacological therapies and is able to intervene in a more precise, direct and immediate on every aspect and problem related to the drug, not only from a management and economic point of view but also oriented towards the patient (pharmaceutical care) and the improvement of his clinical path within the company”.
Complex path composed of numerous innovative projects
According to the president of the Umbria Region Donatella Tesei «everything that improves our public health is particularly close to our hearts. We are living in a complex period, which is why every initiative aimed at improving the health situation and providing increasingly more timely responses to patients takes on great importance.” Furthermore, «what is underway is a complex process made up of numerous innovative projects, such as the one presented today, capable of making a difference. In light of this, the real challenge is to be able to accompany it with adequate information that allows users to know in detail the services correctly and to use them”. Hence, Tesei’s thanks to “those who thought of this project: I am convinced that it will be a success, bringing benefits to Umbrian healthcare and that over time it can also be further expanded and extended”.
Thick figure at the service of the patient
Andrea Caprodossi explained that «the pilot project of the Department Pharmacist in Città di Castello puts the figure of the patient at the center of the initiative. A fragile, immunocompromised and poly-treated patient who will have the opportunity to have another senior figure at his side who can help him in controlling the interactions between drugs/food and supplements as well as supporting him in adhering to therapy.”
Pharmacist in treatment process in hospital
For Alessandra Mariottini Sarti “Italy is also aligning itself with the international orientation which sees the increasingly active presence of the pharmacist in the treatment process in hospital”. Furthermore «the pilot project of the oncology department clinical pharmacist, proposed by the Pharmaceutical Service of the Città di Castello Hospital, is divided into two programs aimed at offering tools capable of preventing adverse events, promoting patient education on the correct use of drugs, improving the safety and effectiveness of treatments”. The manager observed that «the more drugs prescribed to a patient, the greater the probability of therapeutic non-adherence, this occurs especially in elderly patients (over 65 years) with reduced vision, easy forgetfulness and often difficult to understand the drug regimen . For this reason, the elderly patient, for whom correct and human communication can also represent a supportive therapy, was placed at the center of the project. The project will last one year and will be conducted in collaboration with the healthcare staff of the medical oncology clinic of the Città di Castello hospital.”
Department pharmacist and central role in clinical governance
The General Director of the Umbria 1 Local Health Authority Dr. Nicola Nardella, during his speech, explained that «the department pharmacist has a central role in the clinical governance process, with particular attention to the elements concerning prescriptive appropriateness, control of clinical risk and side effects of drugs, in the management of adherence to new drugs in collaboration with the clinician not only in the hospital, but also in the area and finally in the management of economic drug-economy pathways. The project responds to the clear need to work in teams to improve the effectiveness, safety and sustainability of treatments through the exchange of skills and experiences as well as the development of best clinical practices.”
