Definition
mobile and secured cart that houses the automated medication dispensing system for floor stock on each nursing unit automated
automated medication dispensing system (AMDS)
a prescription written in the hospital setting
Medication order
a drug not included on the hospital’s drug formulary
nonformulary drug
a mobile storage unit that contains individual patient drawers of medication for all patients on a given nursing unit
unit dose cart
an amount of a drug that has been prepackaged or repackaged to a particular patient for a single administration at a particular time
unit dose
the minimum restock and maximum reorder levels for each drug on each nursing unit
par levels
a senior pharmacy technician checks another pharmacy technician’s work to add another layer of verification of the medication order prior to drug administration
tech check tech
a system of procedures, activities, feedback, and oversight that ensures that operational and quality standards that are consistently met
Quality Assurance (QA)
an area of the inpatient pharmacy that houses frequently prescribed formulary drugs in commercially available unit dose packaging, thus allowing efficient medication carry filling by more than one technician
pick station
documentation by the nurse upon admission to the hospital
intake record
medications stocked in a secured area at each nursing patient care station or floor
floor stock
a medication order that is to be filled and sent to the patient care unit immediately
STAT order
an online or written, step-by-step set of instructions for pharmacists and technicians alike on all operations within the pharmacy department
policy and procedures manual
a medication order written by a physician on admission of a patient to the hospital; may or may not include a medication order
Admitting Order
a speciality pharmacy set up particularly to serve home healthcare dispensing
home infusion pharmacy
a centralized pharmacy service that prepares IV, TPM, and hazardous preparations in a sterile, cleanroom work environment
IV admixture service
a committee of the hospital that ensures that appropriate protection if provided to patients using investigational drugs; sometimes referred to as the Human Use Committee
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
also known as the Pharmacist in Charge (PIC) the chief executive officer of the hospital pharmacy department
Director of Pharmacy
computerized health information record to share patient information among authorized healthcare providers to better coordinate health care
Electronic Health Record (EHR)
an online record that documents the administration time of each drug to each patient by a nurse using barcode technology
eMAR
a committee of the hospital that reviews, approves and revises the hospital’s formulary of drugs and maintains the drug use policies of the hospital
Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee
a hard copy or digital legal document that contains the clinical information that a hospital collects in-house and consists of patients identifying demographics, hospital room numbers, physician notes, problem list, medication orders and lists, nursing assessments, and discharge
medical chart
an order written by a physician that provides take-home instructions, including prescribed medications and doses, for a discharged patient
discharge order
a daily printout of all patient profiles
cart fill list
an independent governing body that sets standards for quality patient care and safety in hospitals and other healthcare facilities; this organization is responsible for the accreditation of hospitals
The Joint Commission