Education actively caring effected

Despite the growing evidence supporting the critical care pharmacist s contribution to patient care, many ICUs have not taken full advantage of this vital resource.A description of pharmacy services and pharmacist activities in a critical care setting will assist practitioners and administrators in establishing or advancing these specialized pharmacy services. This article may be used to educate other health care providers, administrators, and developers of health care policy on the role of pharmacists and pharmacy services in the care of the critically ill. Furthermore, the application of the elements in this article will allow researchers to further document the effect of critical care pharmacy services on improving patient outcomes. 

In addition to the needs assessment, active collaboration with community agencies is a cornerstone to effective advocacy. Says Schmidt (1999), Schools themselves are a major agency in the community, but schools alone cannot offer all the human services necessary to help a town, city, or county educate its citizens, provide health care, and offer basic services to improve the human condition (p. 185). Turning to community resources is an option when schools are unable to address the myriad concerns of students and their families. Effective collaboration is a two-way process. On the one hand, it is critical that the school convey its focus to the surrounding community. On the other, it is important for the school to reach out to community agencies and learn about their services to create effective partnerships. 

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