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Pharmaceutical Care Services
A dedicated team of pharmacists and technicians provide complete unit-dose and IV admixture services to all areas of OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, 24 hours per day. These services include traditional first dose dispensing and once per day cart fills as well as distribution through Pyxis dispensing cabinets. Members of the OSF Saint Anthony Pharmaceutical Care Services team also provide chemotherapy services through an outpatient oncology pharmacy. The department stocks about 3,600 drugs and fills about 200,000 doses per month.

Pharmacists also provide clinical services including Pharmacokinetic renal dosing, total parenteral nutrition, drug interaction detection and resolution, food-drug interaction, therapeutic interventions, patient education, and general drug information.

Pharmacists are an integral part of the healthcare team at OSF Saint Anthony. They work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to be sure all aspects of patients' needs are being addressed. They work with the patients firsthand and see the difference they make everyday. In addition, pharmacists also participate in quality improvement initiatives taking place throughout the medical center.

OSF Saint Anthony uses the IDX Carecast information system to create a wireless, decentralized work environment.

OSF HealthCare is part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement IMPACT network, which has helped make dramatic improvements in patient care. With the help of the Pharmaceutical Care Services staff at all six OSF HealthCare hospitals, the number of adverse drug events (ADEs) was reduced.

A wide array of changes have been designed and implemented to reduce ADEs, ranging from an “ADE Hotline” to a pharmacy-based coumadin (a drug used to prevent blood clots from forming or growing larger) dosing protocol. Teams are also working on a number of other safety initiatives including enhancing and maintaining a culture of safety and improving medication reconciliation.

Not only have patients at all six OSF HealthCare hospitals benefited from this effort but patients who are treated at hospitals throughout the United States that are implementing the protocols our Pharmaceutical Care Services staff have helped develop.