The right time and place: the need for seven-day pharmacist service models

Background Medication safety is a World Health Organization health priority, with recognition that greater focus is needed to address this long-standing healthcare challenge. As medication management experts, hospital pharmacists support the safe and quality use of medications and are ideally positioned to optimise medication safety throughout a patient's hospital journey. However, hospital pharmacist services are commonly limited to business hours. Aim To synthesise evidence for best practice hospital pharmacist services, with a focus on transitions of care, in support of an extended hours seven-day service model. Method A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar to identify studies that evaluated the provision of a seven-day hospital pharmacist service. Primary studies containing keywords '7-day service' OR 'after hours service' OR '24-h service' AND 'hospital pharmacist' OR 'clinical pharmacist' AND 'inpatient' OR 'hospital', and related synonyms in the title and/or abstract, published to December 2019, were identified. Additionally, highly cited studies related to hospital pharmacist services were also reviewed to evaluate benefits during hospitalisation. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results Only two studies have evaluated the benefits of seven-day services. A large number of studies, reporting hospital pharmacist services during inpatient admission support the need for pharmacist services beyond the 8-5 model. These studies demonstrate the vital role of pharmacists in medication management across the continuum of care. Conclusion Hospital pharmacists are essential in ensuring optimal patient outcomes; however, few studies have appraised extended pharmacy services. To deliver equitable patient-centred care, a robust evaluation of seven-day services is needed.