Pharmacists at Daviess Community Hospital will use National Hospital & Health-System Pharmacy Week, October 17-23, 2010, to underscore the many new and vital roles they now play in patient care. The evolution has been especially dramatic in recent years as pharmacists have moved beyond compounding and dispensing medications to become vital members of multidisciplinary patient-care teams.
“Many consumers are not aware that pharmacists play a critical role in preventing medication errors, advising prescribers on the best drug choices, and working directly with patients to ensure they understand how to use their medications safely and effectively,” said Fran Van Cleave, Registered Pharmacist (RPh) and Director of the hospital’s Pharmacy. “Pharmacy Week is a great way to educate the public about how pharmacists can help them get the most benefit from their medicine.”
Hospital and health-system pharmacists have been able to take on enhanced patient-care roles because of a number of factors, including the deployment of highly trained, certified technicians and new technologies like robotics that dispense medications. As technology evolves—such as the addition of machine-readable codes to medication labels—patients will have greater opportunities to have a pharmacist involved in their care. They also supervise the delivery of medications that is provided by Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhT).
Pharmacists are experts on the thousands of medications available today, how each one works in the body, and the ways to use each one safely and effectively. Pharmacists who graduate today receive six years of education focused on medication therapy, and many pharmacists practicing in hospitals and health systems also complete post-graduate residency programs. They advise doctors and nurses on the best medications and monitor every patient’s medication therapy and provide quality checks to detect and prevent harmful drug interactions, reactions, or mistakes.
Daviess Community Hospital, Daviess County’s second largest employer, provides a broad spectrum of quality healthcare services for people living in Daviess and surrounding counties in southwestern Indiana. A not-for-profit facility with 80 beds, Daviess Community Hospital provides a life span of health and wellness services including a modern birthing center, emergency department, general and orthopedic surgical services, and expert diagnostic lab and imaging services. Over 550 employees and physicians work at the hospital and in our area medical clinics, delivering skilled medical care professionally and with a personal touch, earning the hospital numerous awards for exceeding customer expectations. Learn more about our services, employees, and physicians by visiting www.dchosp.org.
Mission: Improve the health of the people who live in our communities.
Vision: To be a leader in providing quality healthcare services. |  Pictured are members of the Daviess Community Hospital Pharmacy staff. They include (left to right) Randy Gallagher, RPh; Fran Fan Cleave, RPh, Pharmacy Director; Anita McDonald, RPh; Karla Miller,CPhT; Debbie Yancy, CPhT; and Sarah McCracken, CPhT.
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