Health-care professionals’ perceptions and expectations of pharmacists’ role in the emergency department, United Arab Emirates

The objective of this study was to assess health-care professionals’ attitudes and perceptions towards the value of certain pharmacist functions in the emergency department (ED). The study was conducted among 396 physicians, nurses and other professionals in 4 government hospitals and 10 private hospitals in Dubai. While 83.6% of respondents reported that pharmacy services were available in the ED only 30.7% had a permanent clinical pharmacist working there. A majority (75.7%) agreed that the availability of clinical pharmacists in the ED would improve quality of care. On the role of clinical pharmacists in the medication review process, 45.0% of respondents favoured the review of only high-risk medication orders in the ED. The study found favourable views towards a role for clinical pharmacists in the ED for assuring appropriate medicine prescribing and administration, monitoring patient adherence, providing drug information consultation and monitoring patient responses and treatment outcome.