The role of the clinical pharmacist in the intensive care unit in patients with sepsis.

Abstract

Septic shock is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), resulting from a dysregulated systemic inflammatory response to severe infections. Its high clinical complexity requires rapid interventions, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. In this scenario, the clinical pharmacist plays a strategic role in pharmacotherapy management. The objective of this study is to analyze the relevance of the clinical pharmacist's role in the management of septic shock in adult patients admitted to the ICU, aiming at optimizing treatment and reducing mortality. This is an integrative literature review, with searches in the PubMed, SciELO, and Google Scholar databases, between 2021 and 2025. The analyzed studies showed that the clinical pharmacist's role in the ICU is associated with optimizing antibiotic therapy, individualized dose adjustment, identification and prevention of medication-related problems, monitoring drug interactions and adverse events, as well as participation in the implementation of clinical protocols. The inclusion of this professional in the ICU promotes greater medication safety and therapeutic efficiency, especially in critically ill patients with organ dysfunction. It is concluded that the clinical pharmacist plays a fundamental role in the management of septic shock in ICUs, contributing decisively to the optimization of pharmacotherapy, patient safety, and reduction of morbidity and mortality. Investments in care protocols and research that expand knowledge about the impact of pharmaceutical interventions on the clinical outcomes of septic patients are also important.