Individuals who complete a pharmacy residency program at Saint Vincent Hospital (SVH) 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 SVH Department of Pharmacy provides 24-hour comprehensive inpatient pharmacy as well as ambulatory pharmacy services including a retail pharmacy located within the hospital.
The SVH Department of Pharmacy provides consultative services in pharmacokinetics, nutrition support (total parenteral nutrition), anticoagulation, and pain management/palliative care. A provider may request a consultation by entering an order in the electronic medical record. When such a request is received, a clinical pharmacist will review the patient’s medical record provide specific therapeutic recommendations to the requesting provider. Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of the therapeutic regimen will be provided as needed.
The pharmacy department provides pharmacotherapy management in several ambulatory care areas, including:
Additionally, three AHN Regional Clinical Pharmacy Specialists work with the Erie-area primary care practices of the Saint Vincent Medical Group to provide medication therapy management and drug information services with one of those pharmacists being fully embedded within two of the primary care offices.
Saint Vincent operates one outpatient pharmacy, PharmSV, which services associates and patients. The Saint Vincent Meds to Beds program is supported from the outpatient pharmacy with dedicated staff. Pharmacists provide medication counseling to patients and family members, communicate issues with discharge medications to the prescribing medical team, accurately dispense medications and participate in the delivery of these medications to the patient’s room.
The healthcare setting at SVH offers an ideal environment for the training and education of pharmacists and supportive pharmacy personnel. Affiliations with multiple schools of pharmacy include Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, University of Pittsburgh and Ohio Northern University. Rotations offered include community, ambulatory care, general hospital pharmacy, clinical hospital pharmacy, and administrative elective.
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 SVH and nine other hospitals of the Allegheny Health Network. The medication use governance structure is centered on the network Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee, which is composed of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, risk management, and a representative from senior health system administration.
