Table 3 Comparison of hospital functions and pharmacist operations (DPC hospitals)

Number of pharmacists

1

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

< 0.05

2–4

4 (2.3%)

14 (13.3%)

5–9

65 (37.4%)

55 (52.4%)

10–19

93 (54.0%)

34 (32.4%)

≥20

11 (6.3%)

2 (1.9%)

Types of medical institutions

General hospitals

165 (95.4%)

92 (87.6%)

< 0.05

Care-mix^a

7 (4.0%)

11 (10.5%)

NA

1 (0.6%)

2 (1.9%)

average number of beds per pharmacist

Mean value (95% CI)

21.7 (20.4–23.1)

24.7 (22.6–26.8)

< 0.05

Average length of hospital stay

Median value (min-max)

14.3 (12.3–17.0)

15.4 (13.7–24.0)

< 0.01

Pharmaceutical management and guidance to inpatients

Fairly well

99 (57.2%)

69 (65.7%)

0.4150

Often

47 (27.2%)

24 (22.7%)

Sometimes

21 (12.1%)

9 (8.6%)

Not implemented

0 (0.0%)

1 (1.0%)

NA

6 (3.5%)

2 (1.9%)

Pharmaceutical management and guidance to pre-hospitalization patients

Fairly well

48 (27.8%)

42 (40.0%)

< 0.05

Often

34 (19.7%)

9 (8.6%)

Sometimes

52 (30.0%)

29 (27.6%)

Not implemented

32 (18.5%)

24 (22.9%)

NA

7 (4.0%)

1 (1.0%)

Pharmaceutical management and guidance to outpatients

Fairly well

27 (15.6%)

8 (7.6%)

0.0709

Often

26 (15.0%)

10 (9.5%)

Sometimes

85 (49.1%)

57 (54.3%)

Not implemented

26 (15.0%)

26 (24.8%)

NA

9 (5.2%)

4 (3.8%)

Dispensing for inpatients (internal and external drugs)

Fairly well

136 (78.6%)

90 (85.7%)

0.3422

Often

18 (10.4%)

10 (9.5%)

Sometimes

9 (5.2%)

3 (2.9%)

NA

10 (5.8%)

2 (1.9%)

Dispensing for inpatients (injection drugs)

Fairly well

124 (71.7%)

79 (75.2%)

0.3464

Often

30 (17.3%)

13 (12.4%)

Sometimes

11 (6.3%)

6 (5.7%)

Not implemented

0 (0.0%)

3 (2.9%)

NA

8 (4.6%)

4 (3.8%)

Dispensing and management guidance for outpatients (internal, external, and injection drugs)

Fairly well

41 (23.7%)

23 (21.9%)

< 0.05

Often

26 (15.0%)

12 (11.4%)

Sometimes

96 (55.5%)

60 (57.1%)

Not implemented

0 (0.0%)

6 (5.7%)

NA

10 (5.8%)

4 (3.8%)

Sterile drug processing of injection drugs for inpatients

Fairly well

56 (32.3%)

32 (30.5%)

< 0.05

Often

44 (25.4%)

19 (18.1%)

Sometimes

61 (35.3%)

32 (30.5%)

Not implemented

5 (2.9%)

20 (19.1%)

NA

7 (4.0%)

4 (3.8%)

Sterile drug processing of injection drugs for outpatients

Fairly well

55 (31.8%)

30 (28.6%)

< 0.05

Often

34 (19.7%)

12 (11.4%)

Sometimes

54 (31.2%)

35 (33.3%)

Not implemented

22 (12.7%)

26 (24.8%)

NA

8 (4.6%)

2 (1.9%)

Drug information management

Fairly well

69 (39.9%)

46 (43.8%)

0.2289

Often

51 (29.5%)

38 (36.2%)

Sometimes

44 (25.4%)

19 (18.1%)

NA

9 (5.2%)

2 (1.9%)

Therapeutic drug monitoring

Fairly well

29 (16.8%)

14 (13.3%)

0.0744

Often

44 (25.4%)

18 (17.1%)

Sometimes

79 (45.7%)

54 (51.4%)

Not implemented

13 (7.5%)

17 (16.2%)

NA

8 (4.6%)

2 (1.9%)

Participation in cross-hospital medical teams (e.g., infection control team, antimicrobial stewardship team, and nutrition support team)

Fairly well

68 (39.4%)

40 (38.1%)

0.6093

Often

51 (29.5%)

32 (30.5%)

Sometimes

40 (23.1%)

27 (25.7%)

Not implemented

0 (0.0%)

1 (1.0%)

NA

14 (8.1%)

5 (4.8%)

Education (includes pharmacy student education) and Research

Fairly well

34 (19.7%)

13 (12.4%)

< 0.05

Often

35 (20.2%)

18 (17.1%)

Sometimes

62 (35.8%)

30 (28.6%)

Not implemented

34 (19.7%)

39 (37.1%)

NA

8 (4.6%)

5 (4.8%)

Percentage of out-of-hospital prescriptions issued

≥80%

145 (83.8%)

86 (81.9%)

0.9279

60% to less than 80%

5 (2.9%)

4 (3.8%)

40% to less than 60%

1 (0.6%)

0 (0.0%)

< 40%

17 (9.8%)

13 (12.3%)

NA

5 (2.9%)

2 (1.9%)