Pharmacy at Western
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There are two separate pharmacies at CTCA at Western Regional Medical Center (Western). You’ll find our retail pharmacy on the first floor and the hospital pharmacy on the second floor.
After meeting with your cancer care team, and particularly with your naturopathic physician, you will come to the retail pharmacy to pick up vitamins and other supplements to boost your immune system. Meanwhile, in the hospital pharmacy, technicians and pharmacists mix chemotherapeutic drugs based on your oncologist’s orders.
Meet the Team
The pharmacy at Western is comprised of nine staff members. Four hold a Doctorate in Pharmacy (Pharm D), two are registered pharmacists (RPh), and three are certified pharmacy technicians (CPhT).
Krystal Hicks, Director of Pharmacy, is one of only 200 board-certified oncology specialist pharmacists (BCOP) in the country. Highly respected in the oncology community, Hicks has published over a dozen professional journal articles and frequently speaks at oncology conferences.
She says of her team, “We have the utmost respect for each other and have fun working together. We all deeply believe in the Mother Standard®of care and value working in a place that puts the patient’s needs first.”
Quality and Safety
Retail Pharmacy
Our retail pharmacy offers Cancer Nutrition Centers of America (CNCA) supplements to boost your immune system. CNCA provides highly-pure and potent vitamins, minerals, and herbs. Upon request, these supplements can be given in a liquid or powder form if you have difficulty swallowing pills. Your naturopathic physician will recommend supplements to help rebuild your strength and regain your energy.
Western's naturopathic physicians, oncologists, and pharmacists work closely with each other and you to identify problem areas and how to address them. For example, nausea is one potential side effect of cancer treatment that may be reduced through the use of natural supplements.
We also recognize the importance of prescription medication to mitigate cancer treatment side effects and other medical problems. Your oncologist and/or pain management doctor will work with you to prescribe appropriate prescription medications.
Safety is a top priority at the Retail Pharmacy. Hicks says, “Our retail pharmacy staff along with our naturopathic physicians have developed guidelines for reviewing and dispensing all prescription and supplement products. We look for drug-drug interactions, drug-herb interactions, and make sure that every supplement prescribed is safe and won’t interfere with a patient’s chemotherapy regimen.”
Hospital Pharmacy
A separate pharmacy near the Infusion Center mixes chemotherapeutic drugs and other intravenous medications. This is commonly referred to as the hospital pharmacy.
The team at the hospital pharmacy is devoted to patient safety. Each medication goes through stringent safety tests before it reaches the patient.
Hicks explains safety regulations in place at the hospital pharmacy, “We have an extensive double-check chemotherapy order verification process which requires two pharmacists to evaluate patient-specific information, such as lab results, past treatment, and organ dysfunction, in order to evaluate prescribed dosages."
Convenience
The retail pharmacy is open Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The hospital pharmacy is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A pharmacist is always on call to verify orders remotely and answer questions.
