Institutional pharmacy practice

ASAP order

As soon as possible but not an emergency

Aseptic technique

Procedures used in the sterile compounding of hazardous and nonhazardous materials to minimize the introduction of microbes or unwanted debris that could contaminate the preparation

Automated dispensing system (ADS)

Computerized cabinets and integrated systems that control inventory on nursing floors, in emergency departments, and in surgical suites and other patient care areas

Computerized physician order entry (CPOE)

Computerized order entry

Crash carts

Moveable carts containing trays of medications, administration sets, oxygen, and other materials used in life-threatening situations such as cardiac arrest; also known as code carts

Electronic medication administration record (E-MAR)

A computer program that automatically documents the administration of medication into certified electronic health record (EHR) systems; the report serves as a legal record of medications administered to a patient at a facility by a health care professional

Floor stock

Drugs not labeled for a specific patient and maintained at a nursing station or other department of the institution (excluding the pharmacy) for the purpose of administration to a patient of the facility

Formulary

A list of drugs approved for use in hospitals by the pharmacy and therapeutics committee of the institution that have become the standard stock carried by the pharmacy and other departments

Institutional pharmacy

A pharmacy in facilities in which patients receive care on site (eg, hospitals, extended-living homes, long-term care, and hospice facilities); institutional pharmacies are also found in government-supported hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service, and Bureau of Prisons

Investigational drug

A drug that has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing but is in clinical trials; also, an FDA-approved drug seeking a new indication for use

Medication order

A prescription written for administration in a hospital or institution

NKA

No known allergies

NKDA

No known drug allergy

Nonformulary medications

Drugs that are not approved for use within an institution unless specific exceptions are filed and accepted by institutional protocols

Parenteral medication

Medication that bypasses the digestive system but is intended for systemic action; the term parenteral most commonly describes medications given by injection such as intravenously or intramuscularly

Periodic automatic replenishment (PAR)

A set level of certain medications kept on hospital floors

prn

From the Latin term pro re nata, meaning “as needed”

Protocol

A set of standards and guidelines by which a facility operates

Pyxis

An automated dispensing system often used in hospitals

Satellite pharmacy

A specialty pharmacy located away from the central pharmacy, such as an operating room (OR), emergency department (ED), or a neonatal pharmacy; satellite pharmacies typically are staffed by a pharmacist and a pharmacy technician

Standing order

Written procedure for drug or treatment that is to be used in a specific situation

Stat order

A medication order that must be filled immediately, as quickly as is safely possible to prepare the dose, usually within 10 to 15 minutes

SureMed

An automated dispensing system often used in hospitals

The Joint Commission

An independent, nonprofit organization that accredits hospitals and other health care facilities in the United States; the facility must be accredited to receive Medicare and Medicaid payment

Unit dose (UD)

Individualized packaged doses used in institutional practice settings

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

A compendium of drug information, published annually, comprising enforceable guidelines for the safe preparation of sterile products