NuPhaC (Nurse and Pharmaceutical Care) is an expert consortium, coordinated by researchers at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, of the Center for Research and Innovation in Care (CRIC). Prof. dr. Tinne Dilles is president of NuPhaC. Prof. dr. Bart Van Rompaey is vice-president. The board consists of nurses with a doctoral degree and extended expertise in medication management. In NuPhaC national and international researchers are gathered to collaborate on and strengthen research and policy making on medication management in nursing. NuPhaC is embedded in a network of stakeholders, including health care organizations, nurses in practice, physicians, pharmacists and nurse educational programs. Experts as well as stakeholders can represent different organizations, universities or university colleges. In NuPhaC joint forces increase possibilities and are designated to improve medication management in practice, with respect for the contribution of the experts and stakeholders.
NuPhaC is embedded in the University of Antwerp’s and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ research domain ‘welfare, well-being and care’ and has the potential to connect with the domains ‘drug research’, ‘infectious diseases’, ‘oncology’ and ‘neurosciences’, as aspects of medication management are essential in these domains;
Various definitions and models on medication management have been published. Medication management includes medication handlings of professionals and patients. Authors tend to focus on their own professional group, responsibilities and perspectives when defining medication management. Our expert / research group starts from the nursing perspective and focuses on nurses’ role, yet, acknowledges the interprofessional context of medication management and therefore strives to always explicitly integrate an interprofessional approach. The following steps can be included in medication management: medication selection and procurement, ordering and prescribing, storage, preparing and dispensing, administration, monitoring, reporting, error management, interdisciplinary communication and collaboration, transmural communication and patient support, education and empowerment.
The expert/ research group aims to improve the quality of medication management in nursing through research and policy making. Most patients take one or more medicines. Nurses spend a lot of their time on medication management. The quality of medication management has an important impact on the outcome of the patient, health care providers’ work, the safety, finances and image of an organization and health insurances’ expenses.
Within the network inductive and deductive research questions on different levels of complexity, ranging from small scaled in practice projects to larger and more fundamental international projects, are addressed. Results are disseminated within the network and translated into evidence based policy recommendations. Scientific results will be presented in academic papers. Reports will be presented to professional magazines to reach a maximum impact of the findings.
NuPhaC, in collaboration with its partners, engages to organize an international symposium on medication management in nursing every three years. The symposium provides a cutting edge update on scientific insights in medication management, as well as practical training sessions and discussion groups.
Keywords:
Medication management, nursing, interdisciplinary cooperation, pharmacotherapy, quality and safety, trans mural care, intramural care, community care.
Network:
Health care organizations, companies and professional organizations have engaged in supporting and collaborating with NuPhaC. At the moment, the board evaluates which partners will officially be included in NuPhaC