Drug-usage evaluation and the patient-care pharmacist: a synergistic combination.

The Joint Commission requires a continuous monitoring program to assure quality pharmaceutical care. The only way to achieve compliance with this standard is to enlist the help of the patient-care pharmacists. Equally important to the pharmacy manager is the way a DUE program can benefit the patient-care pharmacists. The key to an effective program is to assist the patient-care pharmacists in taking responsibility for the quality of drug therapy provided to their patients. Through education, encouragement, and recognition, the DUE Coordinator can elevate the practice of the patient-care pharmacists. The outcome is a synergistic program that enriches the practice of the patient-care pharmacists who, in turn, enrich the quality of pharmaceutical care received by their patients.