Dispensing of drugs to inpatients

• In hospitals, medications for inpatients are typically dispensed from a central pharmacy or satellite/unit-dose pharmacies, depending on hospital size, patient needs, resources, and institutional policies.

• Dispensing of drugs to inpatients involves preparing and providing medications based on physician prescriptions, following these steps:

Process of Dispensing of drugs to inpatients

1) Order Review:

• A hospital pharmacist reviews the physician's order to verify dosage appropriateness, potential drug interactions, allergies, and other therapeutic considerations.

2) Preparation and Packaging:

• Once verified, the medication is prepared.

• This may involve counting tablets, preparing liquids, or compounding medications as required.

3) Labeling:

• The medication package is labeled with essential details, including the patient’s name, bed number, drug name, dose, route, frequency, and any special instructions.

4) Delivery:

• Prepared medications are delivered to the nursing station or directly to the patient via a distribution system suited to the hospital’s setup.

5) Administration:

• Nurses administer the medication, confirming it matches the prescribed order against the patient’s chart before administering.

6) Documentation

• After administration, the nurse records the time and relevant details in the patient’s medical record to ensure accurate tracking.