American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Standards of Practice for Nutrition Support Pharmacists

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-4-2015

Abstract

The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) is a professional society of physicians, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, other allied health professionals, and researchers. A.S.P.E.N. envisions an environment in which every patient receives safe, efficacious, and high-quality nutrition care. A.S.P.E.N.’s mission is to improve patient care by advancing the science and practice of clinical nutrition and metabolism. These Standards of Practice for Nutrition Support Pharmacists are an update of the 2008 standards.1 A.S.P.E.N. has developed these standards as general guidelines for Nutrition Support Pharmacists (NSPs). They present a range of performance of competent care that should be subscribed to by any NSP within or outside the context of a formal nutrition support team (also known as a nutrition support service). The application of standards is always subject to the judgment of the professional as applied to the individual case. A.S.P.E.N. defines standards as “benchmarks representing a range of performance of competent care that should be provided to assure safe and efficacious nutrition care.”2 Standards are documents that define the structure needed to provide competent care. Standards usually address professional responsibilities as they relate to patient assessment, education, care plan development, implementation, clinical monitoring, evaluation, and professional issues. A.S.P.E.N. publishes discipline-based (eg, dietitian, nurse, pharmacist, or physician) and practice-based (eg, adult hospitalized patients, pediatric hospitalized patients, home and alternate site care) standards. Standards are presented in the most generic terms possible. The details of specific tests, therapies, and protocols are left to the discretion of individual healthcare facilities. Each healthcare facility shall strive to provide the best nutrition support care that is possible given the resources of the organization. The standards aim to ensure sound and efficient nutrition care for those in need of nutrition support therapy.

Publication Title

Nutrition in Clinical Practice

Volume

30

Issue

1

First Page

139

Last Page

146

DOI

10.1177/0884533614550318

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS