ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacoepidemiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1706056
This article is part of the Research TopicPharmacists at the Frontline of Public Health: Workforce Training, Community Campaigns, and Integrated Patient CareView all articles
Implementation and Impact Analysis of a Clinical Pharmacy Ambulatory: A Two-Year Experience
Provisionally accepted
Daniele Mengato1,2*
Laura Camuffo2Federica Todino2Luisella Cordinao2Domenica Condello2Catia Bucciol2Franca Benini1
Francesco Paolo Russo1*
Alberto Cipriani1
Stefano Sartori1Giacomo Sarzo1Michele Tessarin2
Francesca Venturini2- 1University Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy
- 2Azienda Ospedale Universita Padova, Padua, Italy
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Introduction: Clinical pharmacy services contribute to safer and more effective medication use, yet remain underdeveloped in several countries, including Italy, due to limited recognition and funding. Local initiatives are essential to demonstrate feasibility and impact. Objective: To describe the two-year implementation of a Clinical Pharmacy Ambulatory (CPA) in a large Italian tertiary hospital, and to evaluate its contribution to medication management, adherence, and interprofessional collaboration. Methods: The CPA was established within the Hospital Pharmacy Department of the Azienda Ospedale–Università di Padova. It provided three pharmacist-led services: best possible medication history (BPMH), medication review (MR), and patient education programs (PEPs). Services were delivered on-site and through telepharmacy, integrated into the electronic medical record. Outcomes were assessed using key performance indicators, including service volumes, fulfillment rates, acceptance of recommendations, and adherence measures. A survey of healthcare professionals assessed changes in perception of pharmacists' role. Results: Over two years, the CPA served more than 2,200 patients. BPMH activity increased by 12%, with fulfillment consistently above 97%. Fifty-one medication reviews generated 670 therapeutic recommendations, with high physician acceptance (over 70%). PEPs enrolled 151 patients, achieving excellent adherence outcomes. Surveys showed improved awareness of the pharmacist's role and stronger support for their integration into multidisciplinary care. Conclusion: The CPA represents the first structured pharmacist-led ambulatory formally described in Italy. It demonstrates feasibility, clinical relevance, and organizational value in a healthcare system where clinical pharmacy is not yet institutionalized. This model may inform broader adoption of pharmacist-led services in countries where clinical pharmacy remains underdeveloped.
Keywords: Clinical Pharmacy, clinical pharmacy ambulatory, Clinical pharmacy service, best possible medication history, medication review, Patient-education, pharmacist
Received: 15 Sep 2025; Accepted: 13 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Mengato, Camuffo, Todino, Cordinao, Condello, Bucciol, Benini, Russo, Cipriani, Sartori, Sarzo, Tessarin and Venturini. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Daniele Mengato, daniele.mengato@gmail.com
Francesco Paolo Russo, francescopaolo.russo@unipd.it
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