Individuals who complete the Residency Program at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) shall be highly qualified independent practitioners that demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered practice and professional leadership. They shall be highly proficient in managing medication use processes to optimize medication therapy outcomes in patients with a variety of disease states. Individuals will apply principles of evidence-based medicine within a multidisciplinary care environment. They will also exhibit leadership and practice management skills to promote the profession of pharmacy and facilitate their own professional development. They will effectively educate patients and their professional colleagues and engage in practice-related research to enhance patient care.
The AGH Department of Pharmacy provides 24-hour comprehensive services, utilizing a decentralized, computerized unit-dose drug distribution system and intravenous admixture programs. Technologic processes include robotic sterile compounding, bar-code medication administration (BCMA), radio-frequency pharmaceutical identification (RFID), IV workflow technology, and computerized inventory control. On-site retail pharmacy services, including bedside discharge medication delivery (Meds-to-Beds), are also provided.
Pharmacists have direct patient care responsibilities for ensuring the safe and effective use of medications, in addition to supervising supportive pharmacy personnel. Pharmacists with specialized training provide expertise in advanced principles of pharmaceutical care in areas including pharmacokinetics and antimicrobial stewardship, critical care, infectious diseases, cardiology, internal medicine, hematology/oncology, ambulatory care, drug information, transplantation, emergency medicine, and addiction medicine.
The healthcare setting at AGH offers an ideal environment for the training and education of pharmacists and supportive pharmacy personnel. Affiliations for student learners include Duquesne University, University of Pittsburgh, and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Schools of Pharmacy, and many others.
Relationships with the academic centers and professional organizations are
fostered in an effort to provide formal educational programs through clerkships, externships, internships, and residencies.
The AGH Department of Pharmacy routinely monitors aminoglycoside and vancomycin therapy, providing dosage adjustments as necessary. Pharmacokinetic consultations for therapeutic monitoring of selected medications are provided upon request. A clinical pharmacist may be consulted to assist in any medication-related problem or for patient education. When such a request is received, a clinical pharmacist will review the patient’s medications and provide specific dosage, drug serum level analysis, and follow-up information to the requesting physician. Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of dosage will be provided as needed.
There is a pharmacy-driven medication use governance structure that centralizes leadership, integrates pharmacy operations, and enhances medication safety, clinical effectiveness, process efficiency and the quality of performance across AGH and nine other hospitals. The medication use governance structure is centered on the ten-hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee, which is composed of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, risk management, and a representative from senior health system administration.
