Pharmacist-Led Subunit-Based Operational Model in Strengthening Hospital Pharmacy Practice and Mental Health Care Delivery: Evidence from Accra Psychiatric Hospital, Ghana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64839/shjs.v6i1.1Keywords:
Pharmacist-Led Subunits, Hospital Pharmacy, Mental Health Care, Pharmacovigilance, Organisational Efficiency, Psychiatric PharmacyAbstract
Background: Effective pharmacy service delivery in psychiatric hospitals is often hindered by unclear organisational roles and inconsistent reporting, which can compromise medication safety (Mekonnen, McLachlan, & Brien, 2016; Sud, Laughton, McAskill, Bradley, & Maidment, 2021). Pharmacist-led subunit models have been proposed as a strategy to strengthen departmental clarity, accountability, and pharmacovigilance (Moullin, Sabater-Hernández, & Benrimoj, 2016).
Objective: This study describes the implementation and operational outcomes of a pharmacist-led subunit model at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Ghana.
Methods: A descriptive practice-based approach was used to evaluate organisational and operational outputs within the Pharmacy Department following the establishment of five pharmacist-led subunits. Data included routine reporting compliance and adverse drug reaction (ADR) documentation over a 12-month (May 2024 to May 2025) period post-implementation (Bell, Taylor, & Gonzalez, 2024).
Results: Implementation of the subunit model improved organisational clarity, with clearly defined roles and terms of reference for all subunits. All five subunits (100%) submitted structured monthly reports, averaging 20–25 reports per year per subunit. ADR reporting increased from fewer than five reports per month to 12–18 reports per month, representing a more than threefold increase in documented pharmacovigilance activity (Wheeler & Dörks, 2024). All identified ADRs were reviewed by the Pharmacovigilance Unit, with feedback communicated to prescribers and nursing teams, supporting improved medication safety oversight (WHO, 2022).
Conclusion: The pharmacist-led subunit model enhanced operational efficiency, reporting compliance, and pharmacovigilance in a psychiatric hospital setting. This approach offers a scalable strategy for strengthening pharmacy services and supporting safe mental health care delivery in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) contexts (Moullin et al., 2016; Sud et al., 2021).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The Journal subscribes to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This means that all published works under this journal may be shared, copied, redistributed, adapted, and built upon for any purpose, even commercially, provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s), a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.