Pharmaceutical Services & Sciences

19057
(202) 25351500, Ext.4165
[email protected]

Overview

Overview

Department of Pharmaceutical Services and Sciences at CCHE 57357:

Our collaborative approach is to assure that all our patients are receiving the best comprehensive clinical care from a full team of pharmacy specialists spanning specific pharmaceutical and clinical subspecialties.
The department is fully automated since Nov. 2009, Our strategy is to provide the hospital with a cost-effective state of all pharmaceutical services.
We work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to optimize, compound, dispense and monitor every single one of the millions of medication doses prepared by the pharmacy each year

Clinical Pharmacist Scope of Services

Safe and Effective Medication Use

Pharmacists will take clinical action and make recommendations based on evidence to ensure safe and effective use of medications to meet therapeutic goals.

Evaluation of Patient Profile and Medication Orders

A pharmacist reviews the appropriateness of medication orders for medications to be dispensed in the hospital
Each order will be evaluated for appropriateness prior to the first dose being dispensed (except in emergency situations or in those instances where a medication is administered under the direct supervision of a physician)
Order verification in timely manner: For priority medications, verification within 15 minutes of receiving order, for non-urgent medications, verification within 60 minutes of receiving the order

Patient profile review upon order verification and continuously based upon team and patient acuity, Known drug allergies, and review of medication list for:

Drug-drug interactions
Drug-disease interactions
Duplicate or missing medications
Appropriate lab orders
Cost effective therapy
Assessment of therapeutic appropriateness:

Indication
Route and method of administration
Anticipated toxicity or adverse effects
Assessment of renal dosing upon order verification and upon profile review
Therapeutic drug monitoring and ordering of associated laboratory procedures as indicated
Daily antibiotic stewardship efforts to require indication and duration of therapy for each antibiotic ordered and to enforce current antimicrobial formulary restrictions and practice guidelines
Ensure appropriate compliance for Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy medications
Support distribution needs to patient care area by coordinating with central pharmacy staff
Direct pharmacy technicians and interns in their daily work through observing their performance, giving timely feedback, answering questions, providing guidance, and checking the accuracy of their work

Pharmacist Medication Dosing Services

Pharmacists are responsible for the pharmacy consultation services

Medication Histories and Reconciliation

Pharmacists are accountable for the following:

Obtain medication histories within 24 hours of patient admission
Complete admission medication reconciliation within 24 hours of patient admission
Complete transfer medication reconciliation with each level of service transfer and with transfer out of the operating room
Review and verification of medications ordered more than 27 days ago

Discharge Reconciliation and Coordination

Pharmacists are held accountable for the following:

To complete discharge medication reconciliation prior to patient discharge
To Complete discharge medication counseling to patient prior to discharge
To Facilitate access to outpatient prescriptions prior to discharge as appropriate

A primary focus for pharmacists on a daily basis includes:

Provision of consultations in a timely and accurate manner to support other health professionals regarding medication therapy selection and management
Provision of disease state and medication specific education during hospitalization

Multidisciplinary Team Involvement

In order to better integrate into the medical team, pharmacists:

Attend daily care coordination rounds to facilitate discharge medication needs
Support and augment patient care rounds
Pharmacists document notes and care plans are logged in the electronic medical record as appropriate

Communication between Pharmacists

To ensure proper care of patients through shift changes and transfers, pharmacists are to:

Proactively identify hand-off needs prior to the end of shifts and coordinate key hand-offs in the sign-out notes
Contact receiving pharmacy team members when appropriate regarding patient transfers from unit to unit to ensure continuity of care

Precepting and Teaching

As part of an academic medical center, pharmacist duties include the following:

Daily teaching and incorporation of evidence-based learning into resident and student rotations
Evaluation and feedback for residents and students on a regular basis
Timely coordination of rotation activities
Effective use of residents, students and interns as pharmacist extenders

Formulary Management

Pharmacists assess the following during the course of their daily duties:

Approved use and indication of formulary or restricted agents
Compliance and support of evidence-based guidelines and medication use policies
Approved therapeutic interchanges for medications at order verification o Assessment and prospective planning of switching patients from IV to PO regimens when able
Completion of non-formulary request process
Supply documentation to health care providers regarding medication use and patient outcomes from medication therapy
Participate and provide input in the development and application of policies, procedures, clinical care plans, guidelines, order sets, interdisciplinary standards of care and protocols involving medication use
Verify the validity of off-label medication use with primary, secondary, and tertiary medication references

Emergency Management

Pharmacists support and participate in emergency management:

ICU or Emergency Department pharmacists respond to all Code 4 emergencies
Pharmacists will respond to all rapid responses in their assigned area
Timely response to emergency or disaster management process
Support rapid sequence intubation and conscious sedation

Quality and Process Improvement

Pharmacists are actively engaged in quality and process improvement:

Represent the Pharmacy Department on committees, task forces, workgroups and unit-based councils that make decisions concerning medication use or engage in improvement initiatives which support patient-focused care
Lead and support medication use related to achieving outcomes around quality measures (national patient safety goals, core measures, value-based purchasing)
Active and timely participation and support of multidisciplinary process improvement
Actively participate in business process committees throughout the hospital

History

History of Clinical Pharmacy in Egypt:

In Egypt, clinical pharmacy education was initiated at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, as early as 1980 by visiting US professors.
In 1994, the Faculty of Pharmacy Ain-Shams University was established, following the foundation set by Tanta University and incorporating clinical pharmacy curricula into its courses (Anowr, 2010).
In 1997, a real shift occurred in the clinical pharmacy practice when the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the first Clinical Pharmacy Unit.
The experience was shared, and more hospitals and medical centers started to set their clinical pharmacy units.
In 2007, the Department of Pharmaceutical Services and Sciences (DPS), Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357 (CCHE) started its operation, building upon NCI's experience (Anor, 2011).
The International Pharmacy Practice Residency (IPPR) Program, accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists, is considerably new in Africa.
The first IPPR program was initiated in Egypt in 2017 by Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357.

_{Anor, W. M. E. I. (2011). History of Clinical Pharmacy Practice in Egypt ( Part 2 ) Children ’ s Cancer Hospital Egypt ‐ 57357. 2(2), 61–63.}

_{Anowr, M. El. (2010). Clinical pharmacy in Egypt Part ( I ) Development of the teaching curricula of clinical pharmacy in universities of Egypt Poineer. International Journal of Pharmacy Teaching & Practices, 1(2), 18–19.}