INTRODUCTION:

Hospital pharmacy is a health care service that includes the art, practice, and skill of selecting, preparing, storing, mixing, and dispensing drugs and medical devices to patients, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals in a safe, effective, and efficient manner. Utilization and quality of all related medical procedures affecting hospital patients. To ensure compliance with the 7 “rights”: the right patient, the right dose, the right route, the right time, the right medicine with the right information and documentation Hospital pharmacists belong to the Ministry of Health and private sector in hospital pharmacy services. Pharmacists in this field are responsible for dispensing medications, quality control, formulating and reformulating dosage forms, monitoring and reporting drug safety, and preparing prescriptions for medications. They are also responsible for drug storage and drug quantity planning for their hospitals. Some hospitals have drug review committees and pharmacogenomics’ departments to approve new drugs and optimize their use. Specialized hospitals and universities have pharmacy-run clinics for certain specialties, depending on the pharmacist’s specialty.

Therefore, a typical day for a hospital pharmacist may include the following activities:

· 24/7 management of pharmacy services related to logistics

· Prescribe medications and ensure their safety and efficacy

· Prepare all medications and change the dosage form to the appropriate dosage form

· Report all potential DRPs to SFDA

· Consult all health care providers for drug-related problems

· Participation in all health care provider-led clinical rounds and participation in pharmacy-led clinics

· Provide adequate statistics on drug consumption

· Drug store management and drug budget planning

· Provide addiction information services

· Training related to undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy

· Supervision of pharmacy-related research activities

Hospital pharmacies can dispense large quantities of drugs per day to wards and intensive care units based on patient medication schedules. Large hospitals can use automated delivery systems to help distribute drugs efficiently. Hospital pharmacists and trained pharmacy technicians dispense sterile products for patients such as total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and other intravenous medications such as neonatal antibiotics and chemotherapy. Some hospital pharmacies may provide some additional functions to companies that specialize in high-risk preparations and formulations. Hospital pharmacists often express an interest in research, despite identifying barriers to doing so during routine practice. Many hospitals that are active in research also have universities in their pharmacies.

Fig No.1 . Departmentl Activity Chart

Hospital pharmacies serve people who are hospitalized as patients. Services provided include identifying appropriate therapy and reducing medication errors. These services may be pharmacist-led intervention or part of an interdisciplinary team. In addition, they may be subject to drug review after release. These services may be provided in person or by telecommunications.^1,2,3,4

OBJECTIVE :-

· Ensure availability of the right medicine, at the right time, in the lowest possible dose.

· Professionalization of medical services in hospitals .

· Acting as a reference center for medical staff, nurses and patients.

· Act as a data bank on the use of drugs

· Participate in research projects

· Implement the decisions of the Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee

· Coordinate and cooperate with other departments of the hospital

· Plan, manage and implement pharmacy policies; hospital policy set.⁵

FUNCTION:

The main functions of the hospital pharmacy are to:

· Choose reliable suppliers

· Possession and distribution of drugs

· Identify the nature of the medicine that is needed

· Maintain production records

· Quality control of purchased and manufactured products.

1) Manufacture of sterile and non-sterile products

2) Anticipate and know the requirements of the hospital

Functions of the Hospital Pharmacy Management Board:

1) Ensure that all medications are stored and administered properly

2) Check the accuracy of the prepared dose

3) Prepare accurate records and accounts

4) Coordinate all medication needs for Patient Care

5) Ensure policies and procedures are in place

6) Go back Maintain professionalism

7) Communicate with all pharmacy staff about new developments

8) Coordination of regional work

9) Communication between nurses

10) Monitor drug use in each patient

11) Provide guidance and support to junior pharmacists

12) Coordinate all pharmaceutical services at the functional unit level

13) Identification of medications purchased by patients in the hospital

14) Obtain all medication history and report all information

15) The attending physician Help choose medicinal products and individuals

Monitor the patient’s general drug regimen:

1) Efficacy

2) Side effects

3) Toxicity

4) Allergic reaction

5) Drug reaction

Patient counseling Attend cardiopulmonary emergencies Provide information on in-service training and:

· Druggist

· Pharmacy students

· Nurses and Nurse Practitioners

· Doctors and medical students

Pharmacy Clerk:

· The correct method is used in the outer join

· Provide record keeping and billing

· Proper storage of recipe files

· Keep the pharmacy open neat and orderly

FUNCTIONS OF A HOSPITAL PHARMACIST:-

· Delivery and evaluation of pharmaceutical services

· Planning for hospital pharmacy management

· Liaison between regulatory authorities and medical practitioners.

· Assess departmental requirements and apply policies and procedures to hire adequate and competent personnel

Fig. No. 2. Function of Hospital Pharmacy

· To develop and maintain an effective system of clinical and administrative records and report⁶

LOCATION AND LAYOUT:

The location of the hospital pharmacy should be convenient to serve all hospital departments and staff who use it on a daily basis. If the hospital provides outpatient services, the pharmacy should be located next to the outpatient department. Requirements related to the manufacture of tablets, parenterals and preparations must be in aseptic conditions and packaging materials are set out in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations.

SPACE:

At least 250 square meters of space can be provided in the hospital pharmacy. The ground floor space requirement is 10 square meters per bed in a 100-bed hospital and 6 square meters per bed in a 200-bed hospital.

A) FOR OUTPATIENT PHARMACY:

Fixed equipments: 1) Counter with draw and knee space. 2) Shelves for books. 3) Wall mounted adjustable draws. 4) Shelves with lock and key facility. B) Movable equipments: 1) Adjustable stools and chairs. 2) Refrigerator 3) Computer and printer 4) Cabinets 5) Telephone 6) Waste receptacle.

A) OUTPATIENT ACTIVITY CHART:

B). FOR INPATIENT DISPENSING PHARMACY:

1) Wall mounted cabinets 2) Counter with draw and knee space 3) Pneumatic tube station 4) Autoclave 5) Wash area 6) Hood, laminar air flow 7) Waste receptacle 8) Adjustable shelves 9) Book shelves.10) Chairs for waiting areas etc.⁷

RSPONSIBILITY:

Hospital pharmacists are responsible for receiving, storing, and dispensing pharmaceutical preparations using restricted procedures.

Transfer funds to patients

Dispensing anti-infectives and maintaining appropriate records (power, non-compliance, (Storage conditions and deterioration) obtaining and storing available inoculants or sera, preparation Maintain records of antibiotics dispensed to the appropriate medical unit Hospital pharmacists should be a good source of advice for patients and work closely with medical and nursing staff on the ward to ensure that optimal care is provided. They can inform the patient about all aspects of their treatment, including the type of counseling, as well as the route of administration and the highly individualized dosage. Hospital pharmacists can advise whether tablets, injections, ointments or inhalers might be the best medicine, or they can often communicate with medical staff about their patients. When seen as an excellent source of advice to other health care providers, they often recommend safe combinations of medications or solutions for specific patient problems. Hospital pharmacies can provide information about possible side effects and check that medications are compatible with existing medications. They will also often monitor the effects of the treatment to prove that they are effective, safe and appropriate for the user. Most, but not all, can also prescribe medication.⁸

ABILITIE REQUIRED:

1) Management Ability:

· Ability to plan, organize, direct and manage the hospital pharmacy.

· Maintain good interpersonal relationships with other departments.

· Act as a personal manager for your employees.

· Select, guide, train, evaluate and prepare work schedule for them

· Maintain legal and administrative records.

· Develop policies for prescriptions.

· Maintain a professional environment.

2) Technical Competence:

· Well versed in pharmaceutical science, medicine and their ADME specialist, storage status according to stability.

· Expertise beyond drug enforcement.

· Build trust in medical colleagues.

· Ensure the quality of general preparations, especially pharmaceutical products.

3) The ability to develop a manufacturing unit:

· Produce hospital preparations that are not commercially available in the market.

· Control supply, quality and cost.

· Attract M. Pharma (pharmacy) for this purpose.

4) Management ability:

· quality control of all drugs and other suppliers.

· Maintain good relations with suppliers.

5) Learning Ability:

· Act as a trainer for nursing staff.

· practical training for pharmacists.

· Participation in medical research related to drug use.

· Also participate in product development and evaluation⁹

CONCLUSION:

Hospital pharmacy services across the country range from traditional drug-centered pharmacy practices to more advanced, clinically focused pharmacy practices. In some countries, clinical pharmacy services are inadequate compared to other clinical settings. These experiences are influenced by multilevel influences, including personal, interpersonal, institutional, social, and public policy factors. Hospital pharmacy practice researchers are encouraged to publish their work in international journals. Understanding the current culture of pharmacy practice in various healthcare settings is an important step in professional development. Standardization of progressive pharmacy practices related to direct patient care helps improve patient safety. More research is needed to develop and implement universal pharmacy practice guidelines and policies

REFERENCE:

1. https://statements.eahp.eu/about/what-hospital-pharmacy#:~:text=Hospital%20pharmacy%20is%20the%20health,safe%2C%20effective%20and%20efficient%20use.

2. https://www.eahp.eu/hp-practice/hospital-pharmacy

3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/hospital-pharmacist

4. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospital_pharmacy

5. https://www.slideshare.net/SeeniVasan54/hospital-pharmacy-249080441

6. https://pharmawiki.in/functions-of-hospital-pharmacy-ppt-pdf/

7. https://pharmacygyan.com/hospital-pharmacy-management/

8. https://www.slideshare.net/rameshganpisetti/14ab1t0024-roles-and-responsibilities-of-hospital-pharmacist

9. https://www.slideshare.net/anandkakde1/2hospital-pharmacist

Received on 22.10.2022 Modified on 15.11.2022

Asian J. Res. Pharm. Sci. 2023; 13(1):63-66.

DOI: 10.52711/2231-5659.2023.00011