Impact of Clinical Pharmacist Interventions on Medication Safety and Patient Outcomes in Tertiary Care Hospitals

Abstract

Medication errors and adverse drug events remain major contributors to preventable morbidity and extended hospitalization in tertiary care hospitals. This study examined the impact of structured clinical pharmacist interventions on medication safety and patient outcomes in a tertiary care setting. A quasi-experimental design was employed to compare pre-intervention and post-intervention groups. Clinical pharmacists participated in medication reconciliation, prescription review, dose optimization, therapeutic drug monitoring, and discharge counseling. Data were collected from inpatient medical records and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The findings revealed a statistically significant reduction in medication errors, prescribing discrepancies, adverse drug events, and drug–drug interactions following pharmacist integration. In addition to improved safety indicators, patient outcomes showed meaningful enhancement, including shorter hospital stays, reduced 30-day readmission rates, and higher treatment success rates. The acceptance rate of pharmacist recommendations was high, indicating effective interdisciplinary collaboration. The results demonstrated that structured clinical pharmacy services strengthened medication governance systems and enhanced therapeutic effectiveness in complex inpatient environments. The study highlighted the importance of integrating clinical pharmacists into multidisciplinary healthcare teams to reduce medication-related harm and improve patient-centered outcomes. Expanding clinical pharmacy services across tertiary hospitals may serve as a sustainable strategy for enhancing healthcare quality, safety, and operational efficiency.