The Role of Pharmacy in Neurocritical Care

Purpose of reviewThis review presents the evolution of clinical pharmacy services in critical care and describes the roles of pharmacists specifically in the setting of the neurocritical care unit and the field of neurocritical care in general.Recent findingsSeveral studies show that clinical pharmacists in critical care are associated with reductions in mortality, ICU stay, medical costs, and adverse events. While many pharmacists are prolific in clinical research on drug therapy, data on outcomes for pharmacists practicing specifically in neurocritical care are not common. Recent guidelines on standards for neurocritical care units recommend the addition of 24 h access to a pharmacist and the inclusion of a clinical pharmacist to bedside rounding teams.SummaryClinical pharmacists should be included on multidisciplinary teams in neurocritical care units. Pharmacists can help manage medication therapy, provide education to trainees, perform much needed research, and serve as advocates for this emerging field. More research is needed focusing on the outcomes produced by the inclusion of a clinical pharmacist on a neurocritical care service.