March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month

March is Pharmacy Appreciation Month and Norfolk General Hospital’s (NGH) Pharmacy team plays a big role in managing the health of patients and clients.

NGH has roughly 15 pharmacy staff, including seven pharmacists. They work closely with patients, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to ensure medication is distributed in a safe and effective manner. Research has shown that pharmacists influence better health outcomes for patients, improve patient safety, and reduce healthcare costs as a part of a healthcare team.

Behind the scenes, there is a team of pharmacy technicians hard at work to ensure seamless drug distribution by filling prescriptions, preparing and compounding medications such as patient-specific IVs, performing Medication Reconciliation, and replenishing medication stock in patient care areas. This allows pharmacists to focus their time on direct patient care and ensures the right medication gets to the patient quickly and efficiently.

The NGH pharmacy team has contributed tremendously in the past year from the COVID-19 vaccination clinic, handling critical drug backorders, to launching quality improvement initiatives, including IV infusion pump and the Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) program. The BPMH program couldn’t be more important as it is required for the dispensing of Paxlovid, an oral therapy for COVID.

This month, we’ll be celebrating the important role that our pharmacy team plays in our healthcare system.

Stay tuned for our stories this month, and thank your pharmacist, and pharmacy technicians this March!