Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
12-1-2025
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Diane Hare
Abstract
The goal of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to enhance pharmacovigilance practices among non-medical mental health providers (NMMHPs) in an outpatient psychiatric setting. The project addressed the issue of limited recognition and reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) by NMMHPs, which can lead to delays in clinical intervention and compromise patient safety. To tackle this problem, a quasi-experimental, pre–post intervention design was employed. Two evidence-based strategies were implemented: (a) eight weekly collaborative training sessions that focused on identifying, documenting, and communicating ADRs, and (b) the integration of the Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-Effect Scale (GASS) into the electronic medical record (EMR) as a standardized tool for documentation. Guided by Lewin’s Change Model and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, quantitative data were collected using the Pharmacovigilance Knowledge Test (PVKT) and the frequencies of ADR documentation in the EMR. The results indicated an improvement in pharmacovigilance knowledge and an increase in ADR reporting following the intervention. These findings suggest that combining structured education with standardized EMR tools enhances interdisciplinary collaboration and supports safer medication management in outpatient settings. This project underscores the vital role of NMMHPs in identifying medication-related side effects and contributes to organizational efforts aimed at improving patient safety and sustaining pharmacovigilance practices.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Bower, Dustin, "Improving Pharmacovigilance via Systematic GASS Screening and Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Outpatient Setting" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 233.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/233
