The Victorian Pharmacy Authority (VPA) (formerly the Pharmacy Board of Victoria) requires that a basic clinical pharmacy service be accessible on weekdays to admitted patients.  Not all ward areas or units currently have a designated clinical pharmacist hence the need to have a process of referral for inpatients to a pharmacist when necessary.

The purpose of this Guideline, as well as satisfying the requirements of the VPA, is to;

• Provide a guide as to the type of patients who should be referred to a pharmacist from ward areas or units where a pharmacist is not rostered to provide a clinical service.
• Outline the process of referral to a clinical pharmacist.

For ward areas or units with a clinical pharmacist rostered, contact this pharmacist directly if you wish them to review a patient as a priority. A referral is not required.

Clinical pharmacists are only available to respond to referrals on weekdays.

Identification of patients who warrant referral to a pharmacist.
Staff can use the following criteria as a guide to identify a patient who would warrant referral to a clinical pharmacist. Please note, any one of the listed criteria may warrant referral to a pharmacist and the patient does not need to fulfil multiple criteria from the list provided;

• Are taking five (5) or more medications
• Have difficulty managing their medications due to compliance issues
• Have cognitive impairment resulting in difficulties managing medications
• Have a limited understanding of their medications
• If an adverse drug reaction is suspected
• Other - when other risk factors have been identified such as;
  • The patient is taking a high risk drug(s) (ie. warfarin)
  • The patient has impaired renal or hepatic function
  • The reason for admission was a medication related issue.

How to refer to a pharmacist
Referral to a pharmacist for review can be arranged by creating a referral in BossNet’s Allied Health Referral.
Pharmacy referrals are checked daily in the morning on weekdays only (excludes public holidays). If the referral is urgent, please contact the dispensary on 94317.

Documentation by Pharmacist
After the pharmacist has seen the referred patient, the necessary documentation will be completed within the Best Possible Medication History and Reconciliation eForm (BPMH) and / or the patient's medical record. The Pharmacy referral will be closed in BossNet by the pharmacist who reviewed the patient