Pharmacist-led Perioperative Medicines Optimisation

Overview

Patients attend pre-assessment clinics (POAC) who require an elective operation and who are having a general anaesthetic. At POAC patients are asked about their health, and past medical conditions to assess their fitness for anaesthetic, a list of medicines taken is documented. Patients can then be given a date for surgery. During their stay in hospital patients will see a pharmacist who confirms what medicines are being taken, and ensures those medicines are prescribed and available during the patients stay. This study is aimed at improving the care of patients who are admitted for elective surgery. The study will review two different interventions made prior to a patient's admission for surgery. One will look at a group of patients taking a high risk medicine and the other a group of patients with a high risk disease. The high risk medicine chosen is warfarin, and the high risk disease is Parkinson's disease. It is known that inappropriate or lack of medicines management in these groups can result in delayed surgery, poorer surgical outcomes and can affect a patient's recovery after surgery. Due to patient numbers and the variability between patients being too great, and a lack of research in this area a controlled trial cannot be performed. This complex intervention will review the interventions made, to understand how and why the interventions change care and what it is specifically within the interventions that are exerting a positive effect to improve care. All elective surgical patients who attend POAC at St James' University Hospital who are either, taking warfarin or who have Parkinson's disease will be seen by a pharmacist. An accurate drug history will be taken and if changes are required to medications these will be resolved at the POAC appointment. Patients will be provided with an individualised perioperative medication plan.