Pharmacy
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While you'll find our Pharmacy/Nutrition Shoppe on the first floor of CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center, our pharmacy that serves inpatients and patients receiving chemotherapy treatment is located on the second floor, next to the Infusion Center. This convenient location allows patients and nurses in the Infusion Center to easily access the pharmacists and infusion preparation facilities.
Director of Pharmacy Jeff Newhouse says the department is used to carrying cancer drugs, whereas traditional, retail pharmacies might not have such drugs in stock and have to order them specially. Furthermore, Newhouse says that as soon as a cancer drug is approved by the FDA, and his department is authorized to purchase it, it will immediately order the drug.
Pharmacists and certified pharmacy technicians mix all of the chemotherapy medications and IVs. Pharmacy staff members also include a clinical coordinator, clinical pharmacist and Doctors of Pharmacy (also known as PharmDs). Two of the pharmacists are certified in anticoagulation (i.e., medication used to prevent blood clotting).
Safety First
The pharmacy team is extremely focused on patient safety. Each medication is ordered and processed with several safety checks. The pharmacists are constantly ensuring proper measures are in place.
Providing ample, easy to understand information also helps to ensure safe use of prescribed drugs. Newhouse notes that the pharmacy staff frequently visits with patients to educate them about medications they are taking. They also screen patients for drug interactions or adverse reactions.
Our pharmacists also participate in Comfort Rounds, special sessions in which doctors and practitioners from multiple disciplines (e.g., naturopathic medicine, pain management, nutrition and metabolic support) visit inpatients together to address their needs and concerns.
Customization
At Southwestern Regional Medical Center, every chemotherapy dose is customized to each patient. Patients schedule their chemo treatments for when they want them to be administered. Everything is set around their schedule. Our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians prepare the intravenous medications according to when patients plan to arrive for their treatments.
Convenience
The hospital pharmacy is open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Additionally, a pharmacist is always on-call and can come in at any hour to mix a chemotherapy drug or IV. Having a pharmacist available on-call helps us to better serve patients who receive chemotherapy in the late evening/early morning hours in our 24-hour Infusion Center.