Institutional pharmacy practice and operations

Institutional Pharmacy

According to various research and countless newspapers, institutional pharmacy has an undoubtedly positive role in our society. By definition, institutional pharmacy is that which provides "a range of services to residents of nursing homes, hospitals, or hospice environments which do not have an on-site pharmacy." As such, and without this service, long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, would not be able to function smoothly nor take care of patients properly. Thus, due to institutional pharmacies, the facilities that utilize them can play a role in helping the patient firsthand with important matters. [1: "Institutional Pharmacy." Gerson Lehrman Group. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. .]

It is important to note, however, that there are various rules regulating these pharmacies. This is due to the fact that, in addition to providing pharmaceuticals, these entities also provide consulting services, and these can include the following:

monitoring control of drugs monitoring the distribution of drugs monitoring the administration of drugs assisting in compliance with acceptable regulations [2: "Institutional Pharmacy." Gerson Lehrman Group. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. .]

Next, one must mention the role of the pharmacist, who plays the "medical" expert and often a therapeutic outlet. According to one source, "institutional pharmacists take responsibility for their patients [...] and identify medication related problems that may interfere with the goals of therapy." Due to all these reasons, regulations are important to achieving these pharmacies' goals and to help the patients as well. [3: "Institutional Pharmacy." Gerson Lehrman Group. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. .]

The rules can range from proper care to various agreements with the facilities, and to regulations regarding the patient. There are various bodies that can regulate the pharmacies and they can range from state boards, such as the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy (MBP), to national boards. Regulations can, furthermore, include the following, according to MBP (2011):

-Licensure

-Pharmacy Board Examination

-Practical Experience Requirement

-License Renewal and Continuing Education [4: "Regulations - Table of Contents." HOME. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. .]

The important regulatory bodies further include, and this is very important to mention:

-OSHA (governmental agency that enforces health and safety regulation)

-FDA (charged with regulating consumer consumption of food and drugs)

-HIPAA (an organization that provides regulations for health and privacy of individuals)

-DEA (works as a body for the Department of Justice and is the drug enforcement agency that regulates drugs and combats illegal substances)

-Orphan Act (part of the FDA and has been utilized to treat rare diseases by enforcing research and development of such drugs)