INPATIENT PHARMACY

PMC Pharmacists test the new barcoding system to enhance patient safety

The inpatient pharmacy staff operates in a technologically advanced setting that incorporates both automated dispensing (PYXIS®) and barcoding of medications in our pursuit of enhancing patient safety. In addition to medication order entry, our pharmacists screen each patient’s allergies, chart notes, disease state list (if available) and lab values for any conflicts with new orders. Upon completion of this initial screen, pharmacists make recommendations to physicians (if necessary) for adjustment of drug therapies. Our pharmacists assist in drug dispensing procedures and adhere to medical center policies regarding patient confidentiality.

Clinical pharmacists at our facility practice in the following capacities:

• drug utilization evaluations
• renal dosage adjustment
• formulary review
• therapeutic drug monitoring
• evaluating cultures and sensitivities for appropriateness of antibiotic selection
• evaluating a medication list for potential causes of an adverse drug reaction, or, ADR
• identify needs for pharmaceutical education, and establish methods for meeting patient, staff, and community needs
• parenteral nutrition consultation (recommendation for constituents of initial formulations, and recommendations for subsequent revisions to formulations based on patient response and/or changes in patient condition)
• serving as members of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee in order to procure and maintain safe, effective, and cost-conscious formulary medications for our patients
• serving as preceptors for students currently enrolled in accredited colleges of pharmacy
• serving as sources of drug information for medical staff, patients, nurses, other healthcare professionals, and the community at large
• participating in performance improvement activities (i.e. preparation for JCAHO surveys, serving as members of quality improvement subcommittees, etc.)

Hours of operation: 24 hours a day from 7 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Friday, then from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.