The Role of the Clinical Pharmacist on a Nursing Home Care Team

Provision of adequate patient care services to nursing homes is a recognized problem. The most recent Federal Regulations for nursing homes stipulate basic patient care and services, including expanded clinical pharmacy functions, in an attempt to improve overall patient care. A broad spectrum of drug-related problems have been identified in nursing homes.

One method for providing integrated patient care and education to nursing homes is a primary care team composed of a nurse practitioner, a social worker, a physician, and a clinical pharmacist. The pharmacist's role includes drug utilization control, patient counseling, drug information, and in-service education. Through the team concept, drug-related problems and recommendations can be managed efficiently with minimal confusion to patient and staff.

The team concept also provides an excellent educational opportunity for pharmacy students. By assignment to the nursing home, students can observe patient and staff responses to orders and recommendations from the team. More importantly, students have direct contact with the team members for discussion of patient problems. This experience prepares students for their future responsibilities in nursing home consultation services.