Key terms
Admitting Order
– A medication order written by a physician when a patient is admitted to the hospital; may or may not include a medication order.
Drug Formulary
A list of approved medications for use within the hospital; this list is approved by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee.
Home Medications (Home Meds
A patient’s own medications brought from home to continue use while in the hospital.
The Joint Commission
An independent governing body that sets standards for quality patient care and safety in hospitals and other healthcare facilities; responsible for hospital accreditation.
Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee
A hospital committee that reviews, approves, and revises the hospital’s formulary of drugs and maintains drug use policies.
AMDS
A secure, locked storage cabinet of designated drugs on a nursing unit whose software tracks the dispensing and administration of each dose of medication to each patient.
Electronic Health Record (EHR)
A computerized health information record used to share patient information among authorized healthcare providers to better coordinate care.
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
A hospital committee that ensures appropriate protection for patients using investigational drugs; sometimes referred to as the Human Use Committee.
Medical Chart
A hard copy or digital legal document containing the clinical information a hospital collects about a patient, including demographics, notes, medication orders, and discharge details.
Pick Station
An area of the inpatient pharmacy that houses frequently prescribed formulary drugs in unit dose packaging for efficient cart filling.
Cart Fill List
A daily printout of all patient profiles used to fill medication carts.
Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR)
An online record that documents the administration time of each drug to each patient by a nurse using barcode technology.
Intake Record
Documentation by the nurse upon a patient’s admission to the hospital.
Medication Order
A prescription written in the hospital setting by an authorized prescriber.
Policy and Procedures Manual (P&P Manual)
An online or written, step-by-step set of instructions for pharmacists and technicians covering all operations within the pharmacy department.
Director of Pharmacy
Also known as the Pharmacist in Charge (PIC); the chief executive officer of the hospital pharmacy department.
Floor Stock
Medications stocked in a secured area at each nursing station or floor for patient care.
IV Admixture
A preparation made by combining IV fluids and drugs under sterile conditions; part of the intravenous admixture service.
Nonformulary Drug
A medication not included on the hospital’s approved drug formulary list.
Quality Assurance (QA)
A system of procedures, activities, feedback, and oversight that ensures operational and quality standards are consistently met.
Discharge Order
An order written by a physician that provides take-home instructions, including prescribed medications and doses, for a discharged patient.
Home Infusion Pharmacy
A specialty pharmacy set up specifically to serve home healthcare by dispensing medications for home infusion therapy.
Investigational Drug
A drug used in clinical trials that has not yet been approved by the FDA for general use, or one used for non-approved indications.
Par Levels
The minimum restock and maximum reorder levels for each drug on each nursing unit.
STAT Order
A medication order that must be filled and sent to the patient care unit immediately.