Pharmacy Department
The pharmacy department is staffed by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who provide a broad range of pharmaceutical services to patients and residents at Our Lady’s Hospice. Our goal is to ensure safe, effective and rational use of medicines to improve health outcomes for patients.
Dispensary Services
Our key dispensary activities are as follows: Procurement and dispensing of medicines, managing regular ward stock supply, dispensing of medicines for our inpatients, dispensing of medicines when necessary for patients going on day or weekend leave or patients being discharged from the hospice.
Both rheumatology and palliative care have a well-established outpatient service. The pharmacy department manages the ordering and checking of intravenous biologic medicines for rheumatology outpatients and prepares intravenous infusions for these patients when necessary. Pharmacy supports the work of the palliative home care team in the community by providing individualized dispensing of urgent medicines for patients at home and by providing medicines-related advice.
Clinical Services
The role of the hospital pharmacist has changed dramatically in the past 20 years, evolving from preparation and supply of pharmaceuticals to become a more patient-centered healthcare service. Pharmacists now play a key role in optimizing medicines use and minimizing risk associated with medicines. At Our Lady’s Hospice, our pharmacists have a specialist knowledge of medicines used in palliative care, rheumatology and in care of the elderly.
The pharmacists at Our Lady’s Hospice provide a limited ward-based clinical service to some of the units at Our Lady’s Hospice and they participate in multidisciplinary ward rounds where they play an active role in decisions regarding drug treatment. If you are an inpatient at Our Lady’s Hospice, you may meet the clinical pharmacist as she or he checks your prescription on the ward. You can always ask to speak to a pharmacist if you are unsure about any aspect of your drug treatment.
The pharmacists also provide medicines information services to the multidisciplinary team including guidance on prescribing and administration of medicines.
A palliative care medicines information service “Palliative Meds Info” is based at Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services pharmacy department. The service answers phone and email-based enquiries about medicines used in palliative care from health professionals nationally. For further information, please click here.
Our pharmacy department is linked to St. James Hospital who provide a named superintendent pharmacist to advise and ensure professional and legal standards are met. Our Pharmacy Department has its own designated supervising pharmacist. St James’s Pharmacy Department also procures many of the medicines and provides some staffing support for the department.
Education
The department provides training for pre-registration pharmacist and undergraduate pharmacists from time to time in conjunction with St. James pharmacy department. Pharmacists and technicians are involved in ongoing staff education on management of medicines. Pharmacists at Our Lady’s Hospice are involved in specialist teaching for postgraduate courses in rheumatology, palliative care and care of the elderly.
Research
An Analysis of Cost Saving Achieved through the Pharmacy Department Pricatice of Vial Sharing for patients on Infliximab treatment in a Rheumatology Unit. O’Dwyer EB, Adams R, Frewen A, O’Leary J, Dunne E, Robinson G, Treacy V, Bresnihan B, Mongey AB, Veale D, FitzGerald O. EULAR – European Rheumatology Conference, Copenhagen June 2009
A review of the practice of opioid rotation in cancer patients in a palliative care inpatient unit. Adams R, Sabra K, O’Siorain, L. European Association for Palliative Care Conference Aachen, Germany 2005
Evaluation of the need for a pharmacist on the palliative care team in St. James’ Hospital. Donnelly C, Adams R, King F, Relihan E. June 2005
The development of a biologic information website for healthcare professionals. F Kelly, Adams R, Veale D, Fitzgerald O, Bresnihan B, Minnock P, Treacy V. 2006
Useful Links
St. James Hospital www.stjames.ie
The National Medicines Information Centre www.nmic.ie
Opening Hours
Monday - Thursday 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am –4pm.
Contact Telephone Number
01- 4068768
Out of Hours Service
A 24-hour emergency pharmacist service is provided by St. James Pharmacy Department both for advice on medicines-related issues and for urgent supply of medicines.
Staff in the Pharmacy Department
Eimear O’Dwyer - Chief II Pharmacist /Supervising Pharmacist
Fiona McGrehan - Senior Pharmacist
Cliona Hayden - Senior Pharmacist (Palliative Meds Info Service)
Jennifer O'Leary - Senior Pharmacy Technician
Elizabeth Dunne - Pharmacy Technician
Gillian Robinson - Pharmacy Technician