Hospital pharmacy

A hospital pharmacy is concerned with pharmacy service to all types of hospital and differs considerably from a community pharmacy.

Some pharmacists in hospital pharmacies may have more complex clinical medication management issues whereas pharmacists in community pharmacies often have more complex business and customer relations issues. Because of the complexity of the medication use system, many pharmacists practicing in hospitals gain more education and training after pharmacy school through a pharmacy practice residency and sometimes followed by another residency in a specific area.

Hospital pharmacies can usually be found within the premises of the hospital. Hospital pharmacies usually stock a larger range of medications, including more specialized and insvestigational medications (medicines that are being studies, but have not yet been approved by the FDA), than would be feasible in the community setting. Hospital pharmacies typically provide medications for the hospitalized patients only, and are not retail establishments. They typically do not provide prescription service to the public. Some hospitals do have retail pharmacies within them (see illustration), which sell over-the-counter as well as prescription medications to the public, but these are not the actual hospital pharmacy.

terile production

Hospital pharmacists and trained pharmacy technicians compound sterile products for patients including total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and other medications given intravenously e.g. neonatal antibiotics and chemotherapy. This is a complex process that requires adequate training of personnel, quality assurance of products, and adequate facilities. Some hospital pharmacies have decided to outsource high-risk preparations and some other compounding functions to companies that specialize in compounding.

ee also

Residency (pharmacy)