Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are potentially more vulnerable to medication errors than patients admitted to general wards. However, little is known about medication safety strategies used in European ICUs. Our objectives were to explore the strategies being used and being planned within European ICUs, to identify areas of variation, and to inform recommendations to improve medication safety in this patient group.
METHODS: We distributed an online survey, in seven European languages, via professional networks and social media. The survey explored a range of medication safety strategies and whether they were in use (and if so, whether fully or partially implemented) or being planned. Demographic information about respondents and their ICUs was also captured. A descriptive analysis was conducted, which included exploring geographical variation.
RESULTS: We obtained 587 valid responses from 32 different countries, with 317 (54%) completed by pharmacy staff. Medication safety practices most commonly implemented were patients\' allergies being visible for all staff involved in their care (fully implemented in 382 (65%) of respondents\' ICUs), standardised emergency medication stored in a fixed place (337, 57%), and use of standardised medication concentrations for commonly used intravenous infusions (330, 56%). Electronic prescribing systems were fully implemented in 310 (53%). A pharmacist was reported to be fully implemented in 181 (31%) of ICUs, of which there was 126 (70%) where there was a pharmacist review of all ordered medication five days per week. Critical care pharmacists were most common in Northern European ICUs (fully implemented to ICUs in 102, 50%) and electronic prescribing in Western Europe (108, 65%).
CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable variation in medication safety strategies used within European ICUs, both between and within geographical areas. Our findings may be helpful to ICU staff in identifying strategies that should be considered for implementation.
METHODS: We distributed an online survey, in seven European languages, via professional networks and social media. The survey explored a range of medication safety strategies and whether they were in use (and if so, whether fully or partially implemented) or being planned. Demographic information about respondents and their ICUs was also captured. A descriptive analysis was conducted, which included exploring geographical variation.
RESULTS: We obtained 587 valid responses from 32 different countries, with 317 (54%) completed by pharmacy staff. Medication safety practices most commonly implemented were patients\' allergies being visible for all staff involved in their care (fully implemented in 382 (65%) of respondents\' ICUs), standardised emergency medication stored in a fixed place (337, 57%), and use of standardised medication concentrations for commonly used intravenous infusions (330, 56%). Electronic prescribing systems were fully implemented in 310 (53%). A pharmacist was reported to be fully implemented in 181 (31%) of ICUs, of which there was 126 (70%) where there was a pharmacist review of all ordered medication five days per week. Critical care pharmacists were most common in Northern European ICUs (fully implemented to ICUs in 102, 50%) and electronic prescribing in Western Europe (108, 65%).
CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable variation in medication safety strategies used within European ICUs, both between and within geographical areas. Our findings may be helpful to ICU staff in identifying strategies that should be considered for implementation.
摘要：
目的：重症监护病房（ICU）的患者比普通病房的患者更容易发生用药错误。然而,对欧洲ICU使用的药物安全策略知之甚少。我们的目标是探索在欧洲ICU中使用和计划的策略，为了识别变异区域，并提供建议，以提高该患者组的用药安全性。
方法：我们发布了一份在线调查，在七种欧洲语言中，通过专业网络和社交媒体。该调查探讨了一系列药物安全策略，以及它们是否正在使用(如果是，无论是完全还是部分实施)或正在计划中。还捕获了有关受访者及其ICU的人口统计信息。进行了描述性分析，其中包括探索地理变异。
结果：我们获得了来自32个不同国家的587个有效回复，317名(54%)由药房工作人员完成。最普遍实施的药物安全实践是患者过敏对所有参与其护理的工作人员可见(382名(65%)受访者的ICU完全实施)，标准化的紧急药物储存在固定的地方(337，57%)，和使用标准化的药物浓度用于常用的静脉输液（330，56％）。电子处方系统在310个(53%)中全面实施。据报告，181个(31%)的ICU中，一名药剂师得到了全面执行，其中有126（70％）每周五天对所有订购的药物进行药剂师审查。重症监护药剂师在北欧ICU中最常见（在102个ICU中完全实施，占50％），在西欧（108个，65％）电子处方。
结论：在欧洲ICU中使用的药物安全策略存在相当大的差异，在地理区域之间和之内。我们的发现可能有助于ICU工作人员确定应考虑实施的策略。
方法：我们发布了一份在线调查，在七种欧洲语言中，通过专业网络和社交媒体。该调查探讨了一系列药物安全策略，以及它们是否正在使用(如果是，无论是完全还是部分实施)或正在计划中。还捕获了有关受访者及其ICU的人口统计信息。进行了描述性分析，其中包括探索地理变异。
结果：我们获得了来自32个不同国家的587个有效回复，317名(54%)由药房工作人员完成。最普遍实施的药物安全实践是患者过敏对所有参与其护理的工作人员可见(382名(65%)受访者的ICU完全实施)，标准化的紧急药物储存在固定的地方(337，57%)，和使用标准化的药物浓度用于常用的静脉输液（330，56％）。电子处方系统在310个(53%)中全面实施。据报告，181个(31%)的ICU中，一名药剂师得到了全面执行，其中有126（70％）每周五天对所有订购的药物进行药剂师审查。重症监护药剂师在北欧ICU中最常见（在102个ICU中完全实施，占50％），在西欧（108个，65％）电子处方。
结论：在欧洲ICU中使用的药物安全策略存在相当大的差异，在地理区域之间和之内。我们的发现可能有助于ICU工作人员确定应考虑实施的策略。
