Clinical pharmacy service and international collaboration: Model and experience from a medical center in Taiwan

Clinical pharmacy services (CPS) have been well established in the United States for decades but are still not fully applied in many other countries, such as Taiwan. Training competent clinical pharmacists through international collaboration could accelerate the improvement and development of high-quality CPS. This brief report describes the successful experience of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and its model of CPS development and clinical pharmacist cultivation through working with prestigious pharmacy schools abroad. The profession and value of pharmacists lie in providing patients with better drug treatments and outcomes. CPS provided in inpatient departments, pharmacist clinics, and operating room pharmacy through international collaboration all have shown clinical benefits at NTUH. Besides providing high-quality pharmaceutical care, competent clinical pharmacists participate in clinical lectures, case discussions, and play a critical role as clinical preceptors for advanced pharmacy practice experiences of National Taiwan University (NTU) Pharmacy School, which supports the first Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program in Taiwan. Clinical pharmacists are also encouraged to be involved in clinical research to show the value of pharmacy services and to improve patient care. Our experience in CPS development and talent cultivation can be a reference for other hospitals so that we can all work together to enhance the value of pharmacists and improve patient care.