Clinical Pharmacist’s Input in Identification and Resolution of Drug-Related Problems in the Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Objective: Patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for drug-related problems (DRPs). It is crucial to assess pharmacotherapy with the active involvement of clinical pharmacist (CP). The study aims to investigate the effect of CPs in identifying and resolving DRPs in the NICU and PICU settings. Method: This study with a retrospective and prospective design was conducted within the timeframe of October 2020 - August 2021 at the NICU (n=200) and PICU (n=200) of a university-affiliated state hospital in Türkiye. The Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) Classification V9.1. was used for classifications of the DRPs. DRPs identified by the CP and the regarding intervention proposals were communicated with the attending physician. Results: A total of 1247 DRPs were identified for all patients. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of DRPs per patient was 3 (1-6) for the pediatrics and 1 (0-1) for the neonates (p