Clark Memorial Hospital’s Pharmacy Integral To Patient Care
When Scott Hodges graduated from Purdue University with his doctorate in pharmacy, or PharmD, he had many decisions to make about his career. Like many pharmacy graduates of his age, he found high demand for his skills, allowing him many options for his career.
“I really wanted to get a good mix of experiences,” said the 27-year-old Hodges. “I chose Clark Memorial Hospital because it allowed me more clinical experiences and personal interactions with the physicians. Besides, the people here are really friendly and personable. It is a great place to work.”
Hodges is one of the many pharmacy professionals attracted to hospital’s many opportunities and friendly environment. Clark Memorial Hospital currently has 27 people in its pharmacy, including eight pharmacists, 15 pharmacy technicians, support professionals, and interns. The average length of employment in the department is nine years.
According to Ken Johnson, assistant vice president at Clark Memorial, the hospital is fortunate in a time when pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are scarce. “The industry has a 22 percent vacancy nationwide and pharmacists are the scarcest health care professional in Indiana.”
Johnson attributes this shortage to several factors, such as increased standards for accreditation and the greater demand for prescriptions.
In 1996, the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education required that all pharmacists receive a doctor of pharmacy degree in order to practice in the profession. The requirement became effective in 2000, essentially eliminating an entire year of seniors from the recruiting field, explains Johnson.
In addition, the longevity of the Baby Boomers and the greater availability of prescription drugs for treating illnesses have increased the demand for medication dispensing.
Clark Memorial Hospital recruits most of its pharmacists from Purdue University and the University of Kentucky, two of the nation’s top five schools of pharmacy, as well as Butler University in Indianapolis.
Since Johnson is the Regional Faculty Coordinator for Purdue University’s program, Clark Memorial has an active intern program. Many pharmacy students from the university serve rotations with physicians, the Family Health Clinic, and in the Pharmacy. Johnson admits that the Purdue’s enthusiasm for the hospital’s program is attributed to the excellent patient care and high standards of Clark Memorial.
“We have certainly proven ourselves a valuable resource for physicians, as well as students who are wanting hands-on experience in their field,” adds Johnson.
Molly Murphy, director of pharmacy services at Clark Memorial Hospital, agrees. “We serve as the drug experts for the hospital. We assist the physicians and nurses with monitoring any interactions with medications the patient is already taking, educating them on the types of medications that are beneficial or harmful for the patient’s disease state, and consulting with the physician and nurses on proper dosages, various alternatives, and general medication questions they may have.”
For Hodges, working at the hospital has allowed him to have personal relationships with the physicians and interactions with his peers in other departments of the hospital. The flexibility in scheduling also allows him to pursue additional educational opportunities and attend national and regional conferences, which are paid for by the hospital.
However, Johnson points out that the pharmacy technicians also play an integral role in the success of the department. “Without the pharmacy techs, the pharmacists would not be able to focus on patient education, monitoring drug therapies, and consulting with the physicians,” says Johnson.
Four of the technicians at Clark Memorial are nationally certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, which sets rigorous standards for technicians. The technicians are responsible for dispensing and restocking the medications and managing the distribution system.
One such dispensing system is the new Pyxis, which is an automated medical dispensing system that allows the medications to be dispensed on each floor. Before Pyxis was developed, the pharmacy techs physically distributed medications to each patient, a time consuming task.
However, with Pyxis, the medications are dispensed from cabinets on each floor. The pharmacist enters the information on drug interactions, disease statistics, and dosages for each patient on a centralized computer in the Pharmacy. The computer transmits that information through the system to the patient’s floor where the nurse on duty can easily access the medication. This has increased efficiencies in the hospital considerably and has improved patient care overall.
The pharmacy plays an integral role in the hospital’s clinical trials. When a physician group participates in a clinical trial, the pharmacy is responsible for credentialing and approving the study and maintaining the integrity of the medication and data collected from the study.
“We ensure that the medications used are not harmful to the patient and inform the physicians of any side effects that may occur,” says Murphy. In 2001, the pharmacy has participated in studies involving oncology, cardiology, and urology.
“I really think the success of our program is not only attributed to the quality of the people we have on board, but to the general medical team as well,” says Johnson. “Everyone at Clark Memorial is dedicated to providing excellent care and everyone knows everyone else. The combination of professionalism with personal touch makes working at Clark Memorial Hospital a great experience.”
For more information on Clark Memorial Hospital’s pharmacy, please call 283-2178.
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