Hospital pharmacy
Hospital pharmacies can usually be found within the premises of the hospital. Hospital pharmacies usually stock a larger range of medications, including more specialized and investigational medications (medicines that are being studied, but have not yet been approved), than would be feasible in the community setting. Hospital pharmacies typically provide medications for the hospitalized patients only, and are not retail establishments. They typically do not provide prescription service to the public. Some hospitals do have retail pharmacies within them (see illustration), which sell over-the-counter as well as prescription medications to the public, but these are not the actual hospital pharmacy.
[edit] Sterile production
Hospital pharmacists and trained pharmacy technicians compound sterile products for patients including total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and other medications given intravenously e.g. neonatal antibiotics and chemotherapy. This is a complex process that requires adequate training of personnel, quality assurance of products, and adequate facilities. Some hospital pharmacies have decided to outsource high-risk preparations and some other compounding functions to companies that specialize in compounding.
[edit] References
High Performance Pharmacy - Information on hospital pharmacy best practices for achieving high performance.
