Standardized classification of pharmaceutical interventions in intensive care units

A standardized classification system was developed to harmonize the documentation of pharmaceutical interventions throughout the pharmacotherapeutic process in intensive care units caring for critically ill adult patients. The Intensive Care and Critical Patient Pharmacists Group (FarMIC) created an initial proposal, which was evaluated in a first phase through one week of intervention recording. After analyzing 168 interventions, modifications were made to improve applicability. In a subsequent phase, volunteer hospital pharmacists used the adapted classification for another week, documenting an additional 562 interventions. The analysis of discrepancies and suggestions allowed the consensus of a final classification comprising 35 types of interventions related to issues in indication, effectiveness, safety, and other aspects such as pharmacist consultations, therapeutic drug monitoring, and nutritional support. This classification provides a homogeneous framework that facilitates the standardization of pharmaceutical interventions in critically ill patients and promotes data comparability across centers.