Twenty-four hour emergency pharmaceutical services.
Operation of an emergency department satellite pharmacy in which the pharmacist provided clinical, educational, and drug distribution services during patient visits is described. In a Detroit trauma and ambulatory-care center, drugs were dispensed to outpatients 24 hours a day from a satellite pharmacy located in the 75-bed emergency department. Emergency department pharmaceutical services were expanded to include distributive, clinical, and educational activities by the pharmacist on a 24-hour basis. The pharmacist contributed to improved inventory control and billing for drug products. When reductions in the work force were necessary, the institution chose to retain 24-hour pharmacist coverage during emergency department patient visits and to eliminate 24-hour dispensing to outpatients. In this urban trauma center, the emergency department pharmacist's clinical, distributive, and educational services contributed substantially to delivery of patient care.
D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000191:economics; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D008824:Michigan; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013997:Time Factors