Subject:    FLOOR PHARMACISTS

PURPOSE

The floor pharmacist program was instituted to provide more clinical pharmacy services to the inpatient patient care units. By providing more clinical services the Department of Pharmacy can improve patient care and communication with other health care professionals and help control the cost of pharmaceuticals used on the patient care units. In addition, the program provides an opportunity for the staff pharmacist whose primary responsibility is the dispensing of patient specific medications to become more clinically involved if they desire.

POLICY

The pharmacy will provide trained staff pharmacists to work under the direction of the various clinical specialists to furnish clinical information and pharmacy liaison work on patient care areas throughout the hospital.

2. The patient services covered will be a departmental decision and will be based on the services that have difficult to manage patients or have high pharmaceutical expenses. The current services with floor pharmacist coverage are Bone Marrow Transplantation, Hematology/Oncology, and Surgery. In the future the program will be extended to the Medical Intensive Care Unit.

1. The selection of a floor pharmacist will be based on a number of criteria and will include the individual’s desire to perform clinical activities, previous work history, seniority, a demonstrated ability to work independently and an aptitude to take individual initiative in various work situations.
2. Position openings in the floor pharmacist program will be announced to inpatient dispensing staff.
3. A selection committee will be formed for each floor pharmacist opening as it occurs. The committee will be comprised of the pharmacy specialist for that particular area, an additional pharmacy specialist, a current floor pharmacist, the inpatient pharmacy supervisor and a staff pharmacist not expressing a desire for the current floor pharmacist opening.
4. The committee will interview all interested applicants, and will then forward their recommendation to the Director of Pharmacy Services.
5. The Director of Pharmacy will make the final selection.

1. There will be two floor pharmacists for each practice site. The two floor pharmacists will alternate between the patient care service rotation and an inpatient staff position. This will allow continuous coverage on the patient care service and in the inpatient pharmacy.
2. While on the floor the floor pharmacists will work an 8-hour shift Monday through Friday. The exact start and stop time of the shift will be an agreement between the pharmacy specialist responsible for that patient care area and the floor pharmacist.
3. When the pharmacist is working in the inpatient pharmacy they will work the shifts noted by the inpatient pharmacist schedule.
4. The pharmacist may take vacation time while they doing their patient care rotation.
5. In an emergent situation of a staffing shortage in the inpatient pharmacy the floor pharmacist can be pulled to the pharmacy to cover the shortage.

1. All new floor pharmacists will have at least a four months training period. The training will consist of four one-month rotations in the following patient care areas: internal medicine, surgery, the floor pharmacist patient care practice area, and a rotation of the floor pharmacist’s choice.
2. After the 4 months of training the new floor pharmacist’s performance will be evaluated by the pharmacy specialist responsible for the floor pharmacist practice area.
3. If it is determined that additional training is needed, up to two additional months may be used to train the pharmacist. At the end of the training period a competency evaluation will be completed by the pharmacy specialist who is responsible for the floor pharmacist’s patient care area.

SUPERVISION

1. The evaluation of the floor pharmacist’s performance and scheduling of the pharmacist will be performed by the inpatient pharmacy supervisor.
2. Prior to the pharmacist yearly evaluation the inpatient pharmacy supervisor will request input from the pharmacy specialist responsible for the floor pharmacist’s practice area.
3. When a floor pharmacist is on a patient care area, request, for time off must be approved by both the inpatient supervisor and the pharmacy specialist.
4. Clinical activities of the floor pharmacist will be supervised by the pharmacist specialist responsible for that patient care area.