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Hospital pharmacists in the US work in a variety of settings, including managerial and staff roles. They dispense medication, monitor drug interactions and side effects, and develop drug policies. The role is evolving as drug therapy becomes more complex, requiring pharmacists with broad scientific knowledge and exceptional communication skills.
There are more than 250,000 pharmacists operating in the United States. They work in a huge variety of practice settings, including retail pharmacies, nursing homes, the military and the pharmaceutical industry. About a quarter of pharmacists work in hospitals. Hospital pharmacist jobs generally fall into one of two categories: pharmacists in managerial roles and pharmacists.
Hospital pharmacist management positions include the director of pharmacy, assistant directors, pharmacy coordinators, and often drug information pharmacists. Many of these positions require a pharmacy degree plus a master’s degree and/or residency in pharmacy. Hospital pharmacy management jobs also often require several years of experience in a hospital pharmacy practice. This ensures that pharmacy managers understand the ins and outs of hospital drug delivery systems.
Hospital staff pharmacists may work in the main pharmacy, patient care units, intensive care units, and operating rooms. Some hospital pharmacist positions only require a degree in PharmD, while others require an additional year or two of pharmacy residency training. Some larger hospitals have general pharmacists in addition to specialist pharmacy professionals who are part of specific medical teams or patient care units. These pharmacists have several years of training and additional practice in areas such as oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry or cardiology. Other names for staff pharmacists in hospitals include patient care unit pharmacists, satellite pharmacists, and clinical pharmacists.
Many hospitals have pharmacy services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As such, the hospital pharmacist may work day or night shifts and may be on call by telephone or pager. Most hospital pharmacists who work shifts are paid by the hour. Pharmacy administrators and many specialty clinical pharmacists are salaried employees.
In general, the pharmacy department is responsible for the control and distribution of all medications within the hospital. This includes pharmacy satellites, patient care units, emergency rooms, operating rooms, radiology departments and intensive care units. In addition, except in emergency situations, each drug order must be reviewed by a pharmacist prior to administration to ensure that it is accurate and appropriate for the intended patient. Hospital pharmacist jobs, therefore, can include a wide range of drug dispensing, monitoring, communication and policy development roles.
Dispensing medications based on a doctor’s order is what many consider the traditional job of a pharmacist. In hospitals, this includes dispensing oral medications as well as preparing sterile medications for intravenous injection, nutritional solutions, and potentially toxic medications such as chemotherapy. The hospital pharmacist should also stock and track the dispensing of medications with the potential for abuse, including some pain and compound topical medications. Many of these jobs are delegated to pharmacy technicians, supervised by the hospital pharmacist.
Hospital pharmacist jobs have expanded beyond traditional dispensing roles, and these professionals are often an integral part of the medical team. They routinely communicate with nurses and doctors to advise on optimal drug therapy. Hospital pharmacists also monitor drug interactions and side effects, take medication histories when patients are admitted, and counsel discharged patients.
Drug policy development is a crucial final job of the hospital pharmacist. Pharmacists serve on medication use committees within the hospital, especially on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (P&T). This committee determines which drugs the hospital will stock and develops and monitors institution-wide drug therapy programs. Because medication errors often lead to extended stays, pharmacists also routinely monitor potential medication errors.
The role of the hospital pharmacist continues to evolve. As the complexity of drug therapy increases and drug costs continue to rise, there is a greater need for hospital pharmacists who possess broad scientific knowledge, are skilled problem solvers, and are exceptional communicators. This can help ensure safe and effective drug therapy for all hospitalized patients.
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