An up and coming field for pharmacists is in emergency medicine. These pharmacists have a wide range of vital duties and work directly with patients and administration. To learn more about the role of pharmacists in the ER, continue reading on.
- Direct Patient Care Rounds. This is a vital role in protecting ER patients. The pharmacist directly participates with patient’s diagnosis and treatment. This allows the pharmacist to be a part of the prescribing process.
- Medication Order Review. To help provide patients with fast and reliable care, ER pharmacists asses the individual medication therapy.
- Medication Therapy Monitoring. ER pharmacists will follow through with their patients to ensure safety and efficiency in medication delivery. They also check for side effects and the possibility of allergies to the medications.
- Patient Care Involving High-Risk Medications and Procedures. This role also helps to ensure patient safety. ER pharmacists need to select the proper dose for patients who are prescribed high-risk medications. They may also provide education and training in high-risk medications and procedures to other emergency department healthcare providers.
- Resuscitation. ER pharmacists have an important role in providing patients with immediate medications and treatments, answer emergency questions ER staff may have, and treat patients with a toxicologic emergency.
- Medication Procurement and Preparation. Patients in the ER need immediate attention and medications. Pharmacists need to have medications readily available for immediate use. They can also make suggestions for a more efficient work-flow.
- Medication Information. ER pharmacists can quickly retrieve medication information and provide quick answers in any emergency situations.
- Documentation. ER pharmacists can recognize trends in documentation that may require further education for emergency healthcare providers. This allows for improved patient care in the ER. ER pharmacists play an important role in caring for patients in emergency situations.