In an effort to reduce the potential for in-hospital drug-related problems, RGH and many other hospitals have established a preadmission clinic (PAC) patients are assessed prior to admission for elective surgery. This approach has now become a routine service at RGH, aiming to provide anaesthetic and surgical assessments of patients prior to surgery.
The clinic serves as an opportunity to educate patients, to allow access to allied health professionals, to obtain patient information relevant to the surgery, to anticipate any problems and to plan for a smooth discharge.
Historically, pharmacists have a very limited involvement in PAC. In recent years, it has been reported that having a pharmacist in PAC can be beneficial. The roles undertaken by PAC pharmacists can include taking a complete medication history, and clarifying discrepancies by reviewing notes, contacting general practitioners, community pharmacists, patient’s carers or relatives and residential care facilities
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