Discover the Power of Pharmacy
March 06, 2023
March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month (PAM) a time to acknowledge and celebrate our amazing Pharmacy Team!
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are an integral and essential part of the healthcare team, yet many people don’t know much about what this team does during their day, beyond “dispensing pills”.
Well, we want to change that! Here's a prescription for some HPHA Pharmacy Facts to increase your knowledge!
- HPHA's Pharmacy Team consists of 9 Pharmacists, 16 Pharmacy Technicians, 1 Quality Assurance Specialist, 1 Director, 1 Manager, and 1 Supervisor.
- Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are regulated health care professionals in Ontario, requiring all staff to have a license to practice.
- Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians work closely to provide timely access to medications and medication care reviews, education and supports. While their scope in practice is different, they work collaboratively to provide safe and effective medication therapy in the hospital setting.
- The mandate of the pharmacy profession is Drug Use Control. Drug Use Control involves every aspect of drug use, which includes everything from procuring, storing, and dispensing medications, to assuring safe medication use, to providing education on medications to patients and other healthcare professionals, to ensuring laws regarding all of the above are observed and much more!
- Pharmacists play an important role in managing medication therapy by ensuring drug therapy is suitable and safe, by monitoring, changing and/or recommending drug therapy throughout a patient’s hospital stay.
- Pharmacy Technicians monitor inventory, order drugs, handle drug backorders and restock medications on our inpatient units, including in the Automated Dispensing Cabinets.
- Pharmacy Technicians ensure seamless drug distribution by entering orders into electronic health record, delivering medications across our hospital sites and coming in after-hours to dispense medications when needed.
- Pharmacy Technicians also prepare chemotherapy, TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) and IV medications.
Research has shown that for every dollar spent on a pharmacist’s salary, $4 to $5 in hospital costs are saved or avoided. Studies have also shown that when pharmacists are part of a health care team, they improve patients’ health outcomes including improved patient safety and indicators of health and reduced medication incidents and hospitalizations.
As you can see Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are important members of a patient’s circle of care. They not only help optimize the benefits of each individual’s medications, but optimize outcomes for the healthcare system.
Happy Pharmacy Appreciation Month!
L to R: Julie, R.PhT; Maninder, R.PhT; Nadejda (Fanshawe College Pharmacy Technician Student) and Kendra, R.PhT