Pharmacy dispenses new technology and safety

Pharmacist Curtis Takemoto is the Valley's first medication safety specialist.

The pharmacy department at Community Regional Medical Center has been up to more than making its routine rounds to ensure patients receive the appropriate medications. The department recently added a medication safety specialist to its repertoire, and also brought in workstations on wheels to further increase patient safety and deliver medicine faster.

Pharmacist Curtis Takemoto was a clinical pharmacy manager before becoming the new medication safety specialist and has worked at Community Regional more than 20 years. 

“This position allows me to monitor medications before they come into the hospital and scan for potential risks that may occur regarding patient safety,” Takemoto said.

His position at Community Regional is the first of its kind in the Valley.

“I spoke with some colleagues at other large, teaching medical institutes similar to Community Regional that have medication safety officers that specify how medications are used,” Takemoto said. “I realized that Community’s patients could benefit from having a medication safety specialist.”

The MSS is not a required position, but with the increase of patients since the merge of acute-care services from then-University Medical Center, now called Community Health Center-Cedar, in 2007, Takemoto saw the this as vital.

“This is something we need to have,” Takemoto said. “You can’t do patient safety part-time.”

In the near future, Takemoto hopes to phase in surveys and a lecture series for medical staff to help ensure top-notch care. 

“I am passionate about this now because we can focus on the bits and pieces of what medication safety is, not just in the pharmacy but with all other positions involved,” Takemoto said. “We are trying to get people enlightened by collaborating between all who make this happen, like nurses and physicians.”

In addition the new workstations on wheels have become more visible in the hospital. These wireless laptops on wheels round with pharmacists and physicians — making it possible to process a physician’s orders while at the patient’s bedside.

“The secure computers can access patient information to make sure that medicine is appropriate for the patients and their disease state,” said pharmacist Amy Bower, clinical pharmacy manager at Community Regional. “This is a more rapid access to patient information during rounds allowing the pharmacy department to translate orders to the system.”

With rapid access, these workstations save medication turnaround times for patients, and provide up-to-date patient information for physicians.

“It also allows physicians and nurses access to information that’s crucial for the care of those patients,” said pharmacist Danny Vera, Community Regional pharmacy department director.

Currently, there are four workstations, but the pharmacy is looking to eventually have 10 — one for each floor.

“We want to decentralize the bulk of orders that come to the pharmacists via fax, and try to instead to move the pharmacists around the hospital,” Bower said. “Pharmacists are more visible on the floor and available to answer any questions regarding how a medication works or its effects.”

This story was reported by Jennifer Mastro. She can be reached at MedWatchToday@communitymedical.org.

Friday, May 22, 2009