Pharmaceutical Services: St. Joseph Pharmacy Residency

Pharmacists practice high-level care in the patient-centered medical home under prescriptive authority protocols, providing disease state management. Pharmacists also play an active role in Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s anticoagulation clinics, where they may independently assess, adjust and monitor pharmaceutical care.

With more than 55 critical care inpatient beds, cardiac surgery, and a busy trauma service, St. Joseph Medical Center provides state-of-the-art, high-tech medical care. Pharmacists play a visible and vital role on the critical care team. Responsibilities include daily rounding with the interdisciplinary team, management of nutritional needs, response as part of the cardiopulmonary arrest team, and medication education, which can include CABG patients and warfarin education prior to discharge.

The complete spectrum of clinical pharmacy is provided for patients treated in the Emergency Services Department. Pharmacists’ clinical skills are used to offer a wide variety of therapy interventions and team education on issues. Emergency Services Department pharmacists play an active role in emergency code participation, medication administration, drug toxicity consultations, stroke care, and trauma team.

Pharmacists are involved in general medical surgical, ambulatory, and special care unit experiences. Direct patient care and education are daily practice responsibilities of the pharmacists. Other responsibilities include electrolyte and nutrition consultations, antibiotic therapy interventions, anticoagulation dosing, pain management, transitions of care interventions, and much more.

With 23 neonatal intensive care beds and one of the busiest labor and delivery departments in the South Sound, St. Joseph Medical Center provides state-of-the-art, high-tech medical care to mothers and neonates as early as 28 weeks. Pharmacists’ clinical skills offer a wide variety of therapy interventions for neonates and mothers and play a visible and vital role in the NICU care team. NICU pharmacist responsibilities include daily rounding with the interdisciplinary team, management of nutritional and electrolyte needs, response as part of the neonatal code team, antibiotic therapy interventions, neonatal medication dosing, pain management, medication education, and much more.

Clinical oncology has expanded dramatically in the past few years, and pharmacy has been instrumental in its growth. Oncology pharmacists exercise prescriptive authority for antiemetics and analgesics under protocol, and are involved in ongoing clinical research. This service line supports inpatient and outpatient clinics and, as chemotherapy experts, are recognized as a go-to resource for physicians and nurses.