Pharmacists in the virtual ICU: A powerful prescription for better outcomes

In a bold move to enhance ICU care, a virtual command center partnered with Philips to integrate pharmacists into its virtual care team. This initiative, led by Rebecca Conley, PharmD, recognized the untapped potential of pharmacists in critical care settings. With their deep pharmacological expertise, pharmacists became essential contributors to the multidisciplinary virtual ICU team.

Using Philips eCareManager, Rebecca and her team gained real-time insights and benchmarking capabilities that helped them optimize care delivery. The results speak volumes:

These improvements were driven by pharmacist-led initiatives such as standardizing admission and discharge orders, and developing protocols for glycemic control, sedation and renal injury.

Pharmacists helped close communication gaps among care team members, ensuring alignment on treatment plans and improving continuity of care. Their presence added a layer of clinical oversight that enhanced decision-making and patient safety.

Rebecca’s team is now working to expand pharmacist coverage to 24/7, ensuring round-the-clock access to their expertise. They also aim to lead research-driven initiatives and establish evidence-based best practices that can elevate care across the healthcare system.