Pharmacists in this 24-hour pharmacy screen medication orders for appropriateness and enter them into patient-specific medication profiles in the Pharmacy Information System. These profiles interface with the Pyxis Profiling MedStation System located in every inpatient care area which makes authorized doses available for administration by the nurse. As needed, first dose unit-of-use medications and aseptically prepared IV admixtures are provided for inpatients. Pharmacists intervene with physicians and nurses to ensure that medication orders are appropriate for the patient and consistent with UC Davis Health medication use guidelines. Pharmacists provide specialized expertise in intensive care.
We also provide services daily with an emphasis on Oncology and Pediatric needs. Injectable chemotherapy doses are prepared using the vertical laminar air flow hood to protect the sterility of the product and the safety of the operator. Pharmacists provide specialized expertise in oncology and pediatrics.
This area provides services as described above (Main Inpatient Pharmacy) 12 hours each weekday with an emphasis on Anesthesia and Operating Room needs. Pharmacists provide specialized expertise in anesthesia, surgery and controlled substance utilization.
Central IV admixture area prepares and distributes total parenteral nutrition solutions, hospital-wide batch IV admixtures and special sterile preparations. Central Unit Dose area fills patients' 24-hour non-IV admixture medication drawers.
The Nutrition Support Pharmacist, as an active member of the Nutrition Subcommittee of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, is charged with providing safe, up-to-date nutrition-related therapies based on the latest American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) Guidelines. Daily activities include assessment of patients for appropriateness of parenteral nutrition, setting goals for energy, amino acids, lipids, dextrose, micronutrients , electrolytes, and fluids taking into account the impact of concurrent disease states, monitoring for tolerance and response, anticipating drug-nutrient interactions, minimizing PN related adverse events and transitioning patients safely to home. Pharmacists work closely with physicians, dietitians, nurses and serve as a resource in both formal and informal teaching settings. Pharmacists are responsible for policy and guideline creation, management of drug shortages related to nutrition therapy, and ongoing continuous quality improvement (CQI) projects.
This area maintains a central inventory of investigational drugs, provides investigational drug information and inventory management of all investigational drugs at UC Davis Health.
The Infectious Disease pharmacists work with the Infectious Diseases medical services to optimize antibiotic use throughout the health system. The ASP is a multidisciplinary service that meets weekdays to review prescribing of targeted antibiotics, and also to review the treatment of inpatients with high risk infections or therapies. The ASP works with other hospital committees to ensure that evidence-based treatment protocols and guidelines are created and implemented. The ID pharmacists also coordinate a long established, highly effective Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) transition of care program, working closely with case managers and ID physicians to ensure safe and effective use of parenteral therapy outside the acute care setting. Education is a large component of the ID pharmacist activities, with a PGY2 infectious diseases pharmacist residency, and ID and ASP rotations offered to other pharmacy residents and students. Medical/ surgical housestaff and faculty consistently rely on ID pharmacist services for assistance with antimicrobial therapy.
The UC Davis Health inpatient Antithrombosis and Hemostasis management program is a pharmacist-run process involved with the use of agents that prevent or treat thrombosis or acute hemorrhagic events. The program involves both clinical and specialty pharmacists who work together to coordinate management plans with either the use of anticoagulants or hemostatic agents. The service is broadly accepted by the medical staff and continuously sought out for management advice in all areas of patient care, including patients in the OR, ED, ICU or wards. Additional activities have included mentoring medical, pharmacy and nursing staff, residents and students. Pharmacists, pharmacy residents and students involved with this service have also contributed to advancing care by collaborating on projects which have resulted in dozens of published articles. The service has also been recognized by several organizations including The Joint Commission as a model program.
Pain Management and Palliative Care is a strong, well-established and progressive center of excellence at the UC Davis Health. The UC Davis Center for Pain Medicine was named a Clinical Center of Excellence by the American Pain Society. Clinical Pharmacy Pain Management Services at UC Davis Health are provided in the following areas: Acute Pain Service, Inpatient Pharmacist Pain Management Service, Palliative Care, and Home Hospice. Daily activities include providing pain management consultations, participating in palliative care and hospice rounds, providing drug information to physicians, nurses and patients, medication reconciliation and coordination of home and discharge medications including preparation of opioid tapering instructions when needed.