Hospital Pharmacist and Their Roles

Hospital Pharmacist

  

 Hospital pharmacists are experts in the field of medicines. They are responsible for the purchase, manufacture, dispensing, quality testing and supply of all the medicines used in the hospital. They work closely with medical and nursing staff to ensure patients receive the most appropriate treatment, and provide help and advice to patients in all aspects of their medicines.

       They advise on the selection of medicines and the dose and route of administration for individual patients. They provide information about potential side effects and ensure that new treatments are compatible with existing medication. In addition, they monitor the effects of treatment to ensure that it is safe and effective.
 
      They will provide advice on medicines for patients with conditions such as heart failure, kidney or liver disease, and for pregnant or breast-feeding women who should not take some medicines.
 
      They will work with individual patients to help select the most appropriate therapy, taking account of factors including their existing medication, their medical history, their lifestyle and their ability to understand and adhere to a treatment plan.
 
      As well as working on the wards with patients, there are several roles that are undertaken within the pharmacy itself. Their main role in the dispensary is to professionally check all prescriptions to ensure that the dispensed medicines are appropriate and safe for the individual patient.
 
      In the medicines information department, pharmacists use a range of reference sources, including electronic databases and the Internet, to provide detailed information to healthcare professionals and patients about all aspects of medicines usage.  New drugs are evaluated and compared to existing treatments before the hospital decides whether to purchase them.
 
      Pharmacists are also involved in the manufacture of medicines when ready-made preparations are not available. For example, certain cancer treatments and intravenous feeding solutions need to be tailor made under sterile conditions for individual patients.
 
      Specialized roles in other areas such as procurement, radiotherapy, quality assurance and education also exist.
 
      Many pharmacists combine their professional role with some form of managerial responsibility, and also often will be involved in monitoring and reporting on expenditure from the budget for medicine usage within the hospital.
 
    Most hospital pharmacists are involved in a range of activities and work with a variety of healthcare staff and NHS managers so team working, together with the ability to communicate well at all levels, is essential.

Roles of Hospital Pharmacist (in short)

1. Working with the healthcare team to ensure the selection of the best medication at the correct dose for an appropriate duration
2. Monitoring and preventing or minimizing side effects and drug interactions
3. Providing medication counseling to patients
4. Dispensing medications for patients in wards, the emergency department and those attending outpatient clinics
5. Manufacturing specialized medications such as chemotherapy for cancer treatment, mixtures and creams etc
6. Offering specialist drug therapy advice to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals within the hospital
7. Visiting patients in their home after discharge to ensure safe medication management, and to prevent errors and readmission to hospital.