ward rounds of pharmacists

[Asterix]

Niks explained it pretty well but I was wondering if anyone else could explain it.


On wards, when a patient is initiated on a new drug, is it the pharmacists job to order that new med or is it ok if its stock on the ward.

Say a pharmacist did order the medicine, would you put directions on the label? what happens if the patient doesn't get that drug on discharge.

Finally, I sometimes see some orders done by the pharmacist done for an inpatient but when they write inpatient on the request form, no directions wil be put on. I am so confused

[Nik]

On wards, when a patient is initiated on a new drug, is it the pharmacists job to order that new med or is it ok if its stock on the ward.

If it is stock, you endorse the chart as such and the nurses will look in their stock cupboards. If it is not, you make a supply and endorse the chart appropriately so nurses know you have ordered it. Nurses tend to have a good idea about what is stock on a ward.

Say a pharmacist did order the medicine, would you put directions on the label? what happens if the patient doesn't get that drug on discharge.

Again depends - each trust will have different dispensary procedures. At our hosp, if I write out an order sheet with the words "MMS" (medicines management service) in the order section, the technicians will label with directions. If I wrote "in-patient", "I/P" or a specific quantity, the technicians will just produce a label with drug name, strength, form and quantity. This will happen if I order say a course of antibiotics while a patient is in, or maybe some antacid liquid.

Finally, I sometimes see some orders done by the pharmacist done for an inpatient but when they write inpatient on the request form, no directions wil be put on. I am so confused:

As I have said above. There are no set of rules on what to label with directions and what not to. You need to use your judgement for that patient. Generally, if you are ordering something which a patient is taking long term for a chronic condition, or which has been newly started and which a patient will be taking long term, then you label for discharge, eg anti-convulsants, anti-hypertensives, analgesics. The whole point of an inpatient supply is that it is for a patient while they are in hospital. Directions are not always necessary as the nurses will give the drug against the directions on the drug chart.