Crawford County Memorial Hospital recently issued the following announcement.
This American Pharmacists Month we celebrate our courageous pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and we thank them for standing by our patients and serving our community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though hospital pharmacists and pharmacy techs play huge roles in delivering proper medications to patients, their roles extend far beyond medication delivery. In fact, a hospital pharmacist’s responsibilities include patient care, assisting in the transition of care from hospital to home, and collaborating with other providers.
Patient care, especially ensuring the safe prescribing and dispensing of medication, is a core function of a pharmacist. Hospital pharmacists often make recommendations on medication dosages and routes, which are based on each individual patient’s needs, as well as review previous and current medications to minimize adverse drug interactions. Hospital pharmacists also monitor compliance and therapeutic responses to drugs to ensure that patients are getting the treatment they need.
Aside from medication management and patient care, a hospital pharmacist plays an important role in discharging patients. A hospital pharmacist must keep track of which patients are being discharged and when. The pharmacist must look at each patient’s drug chart to make sure that the medication prescribed is exactly what is listed in the discharge summary. This means the pharmacist must ensure all medication is prescribed correctly, including the right dosage and form. By helping to coordinate post-discharge care, a hospital pharmacist can ensure the health of patients long after they’re discharged.
Outside of the core hospital staff team, a hospital pharmacist also has many other roles and responsibilities. For example, a pharmacist may serve as an important member on a number of policy-making committees for drug selection, antibiotics, and hospital infections. Hospital pharmacy technicians also work with drug wholesalers, pharmaceutical companies, and others to procure needed medications and supplies.
Please take a moment this October to thank your local pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and all those in the pharmacy world for the valuables services they provide!
Original source can be found here.
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