• Lotta Schepel, Kirsi Aronpuro, Kirsi Kvarnström, Anna-Riia Holmström, Lasse Lehtonen, Outi Lapatto-Reiniluoto, Raisa Laaksonen, Kerstin Carlsson, and Marja Airaksinen.
• HUS Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy of Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), Finland; Specialization Program of Hospital and Health Centre Pharmacy, Clinical Pharmacy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: lotta.schepel@hus.fi.
• Res Social Adm Pharm. 2019 Jul 1; 15 (7): 873-882.

BackgroundMedication safety risks are the most important preventable factors jeopardizing patient safety. To manage these risks, extending pharmacists' involvement in patient care and patient safety work has been systematically addressed in patient safety initiatives since the early 2000s.ObjectiveTo explore the extent and range of clinical pharmacy services in Finnish hospitals to promote medication safety: 1) in 2011, when the first National Patient Safety Strategy, the new Health Care Act and the Medicines Policy 2020 had been recently enacted; and 2) five years later in 2016.MethodsThe study was conducted in 2011 and 2016 as a national online survey targeted to hospital pharmacies (n = 24) and medical dispensaries (n = 131 in 2011; n = 28 in 2016). The questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.ResultsOverall response rate was 60% in 2011 and 52% in 2016. Clinical pharmacy services were provided by 51% of the responding units in 2011, whereas by 85% in 2016. The reported number of clinical pharmacists had increased during the five years. The most notable increase in reported tasks occurred in conducting medication reconciliations (+63% increase in the number of providing units). By 2016 pharmacists had extended their tasks particularly towards system-based medication safety work: e.g. developing instructions for medication-use (91% of the responding units), creating and updating medication safety plans (87%) and using medication error reports in developing the process of medication use safer (78%). Pharmacists' participation in long-term continuing education became more common in 2016, which was perceived as helpful in extending their responsibilities to improve medication safety.ConclusionPharmacists' involvement in patient care and system-based medication safety work was reported to become more common in Finnish hospitals during 2011-2016. This development is in line with patient safety policy initiatives and its impact on patient care outcomes should be followed up.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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