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Important Notice Regarding Medication Prescriptions for AHN Patients

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About our Pharmacy

Mission statement

Individuals who complete a pharmacy residency program at Saint Vincent Hospital (SVH) shall be highly qualified independent practitioners that demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered practice and professional leadership. They shall be highly proficient in managing medication use processes to optimize medication therapy outcomes in patients with a variety of disease states. Individuals will apply principles of evidence-based medicine within a multidisciplinary care environment. They will also exhibit leadership and practice management skills to promote the profession of pharmacy and facilitate their own professional development. They will effectively educate patients and their professional colleagues and engage in practice-related research to enhance patient care.

Saint Vincent Hospital Department of Pharmacy

The SVH Department of Pharmacy provides 24-hour comprehensive inpatient pharmacy as well as ambulatory pharmacy services including a retail pharmacy located within the hospital.

Distributive services – inpatient

  • Fully decentralized unit-based drug distribution system house wide (Omnicell®)
  • Computerized pharmacy operation and patient information system (Epic®
  • 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year service
  • IV admixture program for large and small volume parenterals and chemotherapy

Inpatient clinical services

  • Clinical pharmacy specialists practicing in the following areas:
    • Critical care, cardiology, heart failure, internal medicine, emergency medicine, infectious disease, pediatrics/NICU
  • Clinical pharmacy services include rounding in several areas with nurses and physicians, drug consultations, educational programs, drug use evaluations and quality improvement projects
  • Computerized drug information database (Lexi-Comp®, Up-to-Date®)
  • Automated pharmacist intervention documentation (Epic®)
  • Nutritional support (TPN) service
  • Anticoagulation and anti-thrombotic monitoring service
  • Pharmacokinetic monitoring service
  • Pain management/Palliative care service
  • Target drug intervention programs (e.g. IV to PO switch, special populations dosing)
  • Active Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee part of the Allegheny Health Network P&T
  • Participation in AHN P&T Subcommittees
    • General Med/Surg, Antimicrobial, Cardiology/Anticoagulation, Oncology, Neonatal/Pediatrics

Saint Vincent Hospital Department of Pharmacy consultation services

The SVH Department of Pharmacy provides consultative services in pharmacokinetics, nutrition support (total parenteral nutrition), anticoagulation, and pain management/palliative care. A provider may request a consultation by entering an order in the electronic medical record. When such a request is received, a clinical pharmacist will review the patient’s medical record provide specific therapeutic recommendations to the requesting provider. Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of the therapeutic regimen will be provided as needed.

Ambulatory pharmacy services

Ambulatory clinical services

The pharmacy department provides pharmacotherapy management in several ambulatory care areas, including:

  • AHN Cancer Institute at Saint Vincent – two clinical pharmacy specialists provide oncology pharmacotherapy services
  • Care Partner Clinic – two clinical pharmacy specialists are dedicated to this program, which provides chronic disease medication access and education to a variety of patient types, including covered associates and family members, community referrals, and hospital discharge referrals
  • Family Medicine Transition of Care and Diabetes Clinics – weekly services in each of these programs provided by a clinical pharmacy specialist 

Additionally, three AHN Regional Clinical Pharmacy Specialists work with the Erie-area primary care practices of the Saint Vincent Medical Group to provide medication therapy management and drug information services with one of those pharmacists being fully embedded within two of the primary care offices.

Outpatient pharmacy

Saint Vincent operates one outpatient pharmacy, PharmSV, which services associates and patients. The Saint Vincent Meds to Beds program is supported from the outpatient pharmacy with dedicated staff. Pharmacists provide medication counseling to patients and family members, communicate issues with discharge medications to the prescribing medical team, accurately dispense medications and participate in the delivery of these medications to the patient’s room. 

Academic affiliations

The healthcare setting at SVH offers an ideal environment for the training and education of pharmacists and supportive pharmacy personnel. Affiliations with multiple schools of pharmacy include Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, University of Pittsburgh and Ohio Northern University. Rotations offered include community, ambulatory care, general hospital pharmacy, clinical hospital pharmacy, and administrative elective.

Multiple hospital medication use governance structure

There is a pharmacy-driven medication use governance structure that centralizes leadership, integrates pharmacy operations, and enhances medication safety, clinical effectiveness, process efficiency and the quality of performance across SVH and nine other hospitals of the Allegheny Health Network. The medication use governance structure is centered on the network Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee, which is composed of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, risk management, and a representative from senior health system administration.