Manuscript Title:

LABORATORY-GUIDED MEDICATION SAFETY IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS: THE ROLE OF PHARMACIST NURSE COLLABORATION; A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Author:

MOHAMMED SAMEER ALANAZI, NAWAF FAHAD ALHARBI, KHALID HASSAN AATI, BADER SAUD ALSHAMMARI, REHAB AZIZ ALHARBIE, ALI EID ATALAH ALBLOWI, LAMA ABDULLAH ABABTAIN

DOI Number:

DOI:10.5281/zenodo.17864762

Published : 2025-10-23

About the author(s)

1. MOHAMMED SAMEER ALANAZI - Pharmacy Technician, National Guard Hospital.
2. NAWAF FAHAD ALHARBI - Pharmacy Technician, National Guard Hospital.
3. KHALID HASSAN AATI - Nurse Technician, National Guard Hospital.
4. BADER SAUD ALSHAMMARI - Health Information Technician, National Guard Hospital.
5. REHAB AZIZ ALHARBIE - Nursing, National Guard Hospital.
6. ALI EID ATALAH ALBLOWI - Medical Laboratory Technician, National Guard Hospital.
7. LAMA ABDULLAH ABABTAIN - Pharmacist, National Guard Hospital.

Full Text : PDF

Abstract

Medication safety in hospitals is a major patient-safety priority, particularly where high-alert drugs require timely laboratory interpretation and rapid dose adjustment. Pharmacists and nurses jointly influence these processes through ordering, sampling, administration, monitoring, and escalation. This systematic review evaluated how laboratory-guided services supported by pharmacist–nurse collaboration affect medication safety outcomes in hospital settings. We focused on hospital-based interventions involving anticoagulation management, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of antimicrobials, anti-Xa-guided thromboprophylaxis, and renal dose adjustment programs. We searched major databases for open-access original studies evaluating pharmacist-led or pharmacist–nurse collaborative models with explicit laboratory-linked endpoints. Outcomes included appropriateness of monitoring, dose adjustment accuracy, surrogate safety outcomes, and error reduction. Nine eligible original studies were included. In settings, pharmacist managed protocols were associated with improved adherence to evidence-informed dosing pathways, more appropriate laboratory monitoring, and increased attainment of therapeutic targets. The effect was most consistent in inpatient warfarin protocols and vancomycin TDM programs. Renal dose adjustment policies supported by clinical pharmacy review reduced clinically meaningful dosing errors. Anti-Xa–guided approaches supported by pharmacist input improved the likelihood of reaching target prophylactic ranges in high-risk trauma populations.


Keywords

Medication Safety; Pharmacist–Nurse Collaboration; Therapeutic Drug Monitoring; Warfarin; Vancomycin; Renal Dose Adjustment; Anti-Xa.