Pharmacy Consulting Services
Disclaimer: This photo was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Owensboro Health, the Pharmacy Department provides consulting services to Physicians, Nurses, and others within the facility pertaining to drug information questions.
Pharmacists are available to answer questions involving dosing, adverse reactions, administration, storage, appropriate drug selection, interactions, and more 24/7 by phone.
Pharmacists frequently answer dosing, administration, and storage questions posed by Nurses on the units and provide appropriate drug selection and dosing assistance to physicians.
Consulting Process
Consults requested by Physicians for drug selection and dosing are all submitted via computer to the pharmacy through a consult order. The Pharmacist then reviews the patient’s information to determine which medication is most appropriate for that individual and provides dosing according to the Patient’s indication and demographics. The most frequent consult requests involve antibiotic selection and dosing, Pharmacokinetic Monitoring, Nutrition Consultation, and Anticoagulation Therapy.
Types of Consulting Services
For Antibiotics, Physicians may request culture and sensitivity examination by the Pharmacist and selection of the appropriate medication for the Patient’s infection. The Pharmacist will then dose this appropriately and follow as necessary. These Patients are monitored for appropriate therapy and response until the medication is discontinued or until otherwise determined by the physician.
At Owensboro Health, Pharmacists are also often asked to consult on Anticoagulation Therapy as these medications require frequent monitoring and dose adjustments. These Patients will be followed over the duration of therapy to ensure appropriateness, safety and efficacy.
Nutritional Consultations are also commonly requested. Nutrition supplementation requires collaboration between Doctors, Pharmacists, and Dietitians to determine the best nutrition that can be provided for the patient.