5 - What I do all day

I write this blog because my husband was shocked to learn that I sit at a desk for a large part of my day.  I don't know exactly what he thought I did at work?  I figure if HE doesn't know what a hospital pharmacist does, then it might be worth educating the blogosphere. 

None of this will come as a surprise to my fellow pharmacists.  My other friends may have no idea that pharmacists are anything other than the extremely frazzled and mistreated white coats behind the counter at Walgreens.  No disrespect - those folks work hard - but I'm a hospital pharmacist and therefore that's what I blog about.

Hospitals have pharmacists, usually 24/7 on duty.  Every single thing you take at a hospital, whether it's aspirin, an antibiotic, or morphine, is reviewed by a pharmacist.  And believe me, you want it this way.

Physicians are physicians and pharmacists are pharmacists.  Just as I am not an expert on diagnosing, physicians are not (for the most part) experts on medications.  We must work together.  And for the record, many pharmacists are "Doctors". 

We make sure that the drug that gets delivered to your body is the exact same as what was ordered.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but with thousands of medications - many of them just varying doses of the same thing - this is a huge part of our job.

Pharmacists make sure that the medication isn't something you're allergic to (refer post #3).  If it is something you're allergic to, we discuss options with the doctor. 

We make sure that the dose ordered by the doctor is appropriate for your weight, your kidney and liver function, your age, etc.  Again, we discuss with your doctor as needed. 

We make sure that the drug and dose ordered is appropriate for what ails you.

We make sure that the drug ordered doesn't interact with any other medications you're on. 

We make sure the doctor isn't giving you IV when you could be taking pills - this saves you money as well as discomfort. 

We make sure the doctor is appropriately monitoring your response to medications.

We review your case to see if medications you take might be causing some of your symptoms (it's amazing how often this happens). 

We often consult with your doctor to help select the right medication in the first place.  We love doctors who ask our help in this.  It saves us trouble down the road, and it helps you get better more quickly when the medication is right the first time.

We might visit your room to teach you about a medication, especially if it's something you need to continue to take after you go home.

Fellow hospital pharmacists - am I forgetting anything? 

At your service,
The Happy Pharmacist