For this semester break, I was compelled to go for attachment, either in a hospital or in a retail pharmacy. I eventually gravitated towards a hospital placement, and got a place at ABC Hospital.
Basically the hospital pharmacy follows a simple hierarchy which is then broadly divided into three pharmaceutical departments: Inpatient, outpatient and retail. Each cohort is micromanaged by two to three senior pharmacists, each in change of a smattering of assistant pharmacists.
Just a simple rundown of what each division does:
Inpatient Pharmacy:
Contains the main drug store. Manages and provides daily drug supplies for patients staying at the hospital and also the ward stocks of various expendables.
Outpatient Pharmacy:
The most commonly pictured pharmacy in a hospital, whereby patients collect their medication and leave. Involved in receiving outpatient prescriptions, cross-checking drug usage and suitability, packaging, dispensing, and at times, counseling or advice.
Retail Pharmacy:
Sells common vitamins and supplements that do not fall under the category of controlled substances. Also stocks various other products from food to candy and diapers.
*All these descriptions are based on personal observation at a particular hospital and may not apply in all scenarios*
Basically, the main job of a pharmacist is to mediate and control the flow of drugs around the hospital. Every prescription or request for medication is heavily scrutinized, documented and labeled orderly, so that each pill or bottle is accounted for, and there can be no discrepancies between supply and demand.
Also, pharmacists play a huge role in maintaining drug store, both incoming and outgoing. Meetings are held between pharmacists and doctors to determine which strand of drug will be used for a particular condition, since many generic medications are available nowadays.
The outcome is that certain pharmacies may rely heavily on one particular brand of drug, while another will differ, but basically, both drugs contain similar active ingredients and have the same efficacy.
Essentially, pharmacists (especially the ones with the authority to make such decisions) are sitting ducks for brand marketing and product competition.
Henceforth, some pharmacists actually have a very wide scope of responsibilities, and are involved in major, decisive verdicts that may NOT rattle the foundations of a hospital corporation, but may induce subtle changes within its system dynamics; Which over time will prove to be very significant indeed.
Although doctors are the ones in charged of diagnosing the disease and prescribing medication, the execution of the prescription lies eventually in the pharmacist that dispenses the drug. It is through this second firewall whereby human errors and/or impaired judgment towards drug treatment methods are corrected.
Most senior, even junior, pharmacists have an extensive knowledge of pharmacokinetics and -dynamics. By scrolling through prescriptions, they have the ability to determine what illness the patient is suffering from, and based on the medical report, regulate what medication should be dispensed to the patient.
Sometimes, the prescription may carry drugs that are ineffective for the particular condition, or that various prescribed medication may interact and cause an adverse reaction if taken together. It is mostly up to the pharmacist to pinpoint and rectify such mistakes, while notifying and discussing with the physician in charge of that particular patient.
In lieu, patient quality care is ensured.
In conclusion, pharmacists are indispensable in their roles as health care providers and servicemen. Although not outwardly as 'glamorous' as a doctor, they are capital in the management of drug-based treatments, ensuring both patient safety and physician credibility.
Unquestionably, a pharmacist's role is not limited to those mentioned in this post. Many pharmacists by degree actually branch out into various fields and exert their comprehensive knowledge into a multitude of positive channels, for example drug design. Hence, the knowledge of drugs is not static and can be incorporated into many aspects of the industry.
