Celebrating American Pharmacists Month and National Health-System Pharmacy Week 2024
National Pharmacy Week is Oct. 20–26, 2024
By Jacob Hall, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist
Pharmacy staff contribute to the high-quality healthcare provided here at Cook Children’s by serving on numerous multidisciplinary committees and task forces, heading up medication efforts as drug experts and medication safety advisors, aiming to maximize outcomes and reduce risk of harm. From tasks like providing drug therapy management recommendations and managing a multi million-dollar inventory and ever-changing formulary, to providing accurate and timely drug information and medication education, our team is dedicated to being a strong and reliable resource to staff, patients and families alike.
Pharmacists serve as a true medication expert for the team, equipped with extensive knowledge about drug therapy management and overall medication excellence. Pharmacists focus their attention to create holistic approaches to treatment plans that consider a patient's unique needs, possible interactions, and long-term goals. They continuously monitor patients, adjust dosages, and recommend alternative treatments when necessary. This ongoing commitment to therapeutic success is the driving force behind better patient outcomes. Since medications play a role in just about every patient’s visit, pharmacy services have the chance impact patients in some way. With so many medications involved, the pharmacy department also serves as a huge driver for both personal medication safety as well as general staff and patient safety as it pertains to the safe use and administration of medications, which is a pivotal aspect of a pharmacist's role. They equip patients and their families with the knowledge to navigate their treatment journey by explaining the importance of accurate medication administration tips and tricks, proper adherence and managing potential side effects. By empowering patients to take charge of their health, they put the patient front and center to the care they receive. From over-the-counter medications and supplements to prescriptions and specialty meds, the pharmacy department unravels the medication maze, ensuring informed decisions are made.
Behind every pharmacist is a support system, and that's where pharmacy technicians come in to greatly extend the reach of our pharmacy services. These unsung heroes provide the operational backbone of the pharmacy, putting in the hard work needed to ensure medications are dispensed accurately and efficiently. One major way that pharmacy is much more complex in a pediatric setting is the sheer amount of dose manipulation required by pharmacy personnel as we tailor doses specific to each patient, much more so than the standardization seen with adult institutions. This critical difference is what accounts for the specialized skillset of our technicians to compound, pre-pack and prepare patient specific doses quickly, all while focusing on safety and accuracy. Their assistance is also pivotal in maintaining the smooth operation of the pharmacy by tackling operational tasks and triaging communications that allow pharmacists to focus on their clinical duties. Technicians also play a vital role in ensuring the continuity of care, especially during transitions between healthcare settings, by helping maintain valuable information about medication regimens, vaccines and so much more. They work tirelessly to ensure complete and thorough medication histories as patients enter our care and meeting medication needs as they leave our care. Their diligence, coupled with that of the pharmacists, helps to catch and alert to discrepancies, errors or oversights in patient’s medication therapies, ensuring patient’s needs do not fall through the crack as they transition across the healthcare system. As liaisons for the department, pharmacy technicians often bridge the gap between patients and their families, healthcare providers, and pharmacists, all with the aim of providing excellent service to those they serve.
Our department also participates in extensive residency, intern and student education programs designed at educating and training prospective or new pharmacists to be high-performing team members. Our internship is currently facilitating 24 pharmacy students with a passion for pediatrics pharmacy practice. These students are currently enrolled in local pharmacy programs and seek hands-on practical experience alongside our pharmacists to supplement their classroom learning. These students are members of Cook Children’s staff and operate as a hybrid role, completing advanced technician work and assisting pharmacist in delegated duties. Our department also has a rigorous pharmacy post-graduate residency training program, accepting a total of 4 pharmacists across the PGY1 and PGY 2 years. This program aims at taking new pharmacist and through demanding coursework, give them a jump start to their career by fast tracking their education and giving them a wide but in-depth pediatric pharmacy experience. These residents not only expand our patient care as part of Cook Children’s staff, but also participate in process improvement, continuing education and research for our system. Our department also hosts on average 75 students per school year for students needing hospital or pediatric pharmacy experiences. These students are also currently enrolled in a pharmacy program but are near completion of their coursework and are participating in rotations that allow for practical experience to solidify their drug knowledge prior to graduating and becoming licensed pharmacists.
In addition to our core patient care staff, pharmacists and technicians also are able to serve in unique ways to achieve department goals. Our leadership team consists of highly skilled and educated individuals that all bring a wealth of knowledge to the team. They help focus on quality assurance, process improvement and help our department navigate the changes in healthcare in a way that accelerates the growth of our staff, our services and overall function of our department. Our pharmacy buying team ensures that our staff are able to meet all patient mediation needs by meticulously navigating our multimillion-dollar inventory, supplying our ever-expanding formulary, and finding unique and viable alternatives in the never-ending wave of drug shortages. We also have pharmacists and techs that represent us but have the chance to serve in other departments across the system, such as Quality & Safety, IT, Finance, and others.
In celebrating American Pharmacy Month, we encourage you to embrace the expanding horizons of pharmacy services. These professionals aren't just pillars of the healthcare team; they are the architects of better health, educators, guardians of safety, and supporters of optimal therapy. They are the key players in your wellness journey.
This October, take a moment to express your gratitude to all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who dedicate themselves to both the team and the patients and families they serve. Their impact extends far beyond the prescription counter or basement pharmacy.