Individuals who complete the Residency Program at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) shall be highly qualified independent practitioners that demonstrate a commitment to patient-centered practice and professional leadership. They shall be highly proficient in managing medication use processes to optimize medication therapy outcomes in patients with a variety of disease states. Individuals will apply principles of evidence-based medicine within a multidisciplinary care environment. They will also exhibit leadership and practice management skills to promote the profession of pharmacy and facilitate their own professional development. They will effectively educate patients and their professional colleagues and engage in practice-related research to enhance patient care.
Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) is the flagship tertiary-careacademic medical center of the 14-hospital Allegheny Health Network,located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a physician-led organizationwithin Highmark Health, AGH is a national leader in cardiovascular,cancer, neuroscience, orthopaedic, and rehabilitation care, offering awide array of medical and surgical specialties.
AGH’s Department of Pharmacy provides 24-hour comprehensivepharmacy services, utilizing a decentralized, computerized unit-dosedrug distribution system and intravenous admixture programs.Technologic processes include robotic sterile compounding, bar-codemedication administration (BCMA), radio-frequency pharmaceuticalidentification (RFID), IV workflow technology, and computerizedinventory control. On-site retail pharmacy services including bedsidedischarge medication delivery (Meds-to-Beds) are also provided.
Pharmacists have direct patient-care responsibilities to ensure the safeand effective use of medications, in addition to supervising supportivepharmacy personnel. Pharmacists with specialized training provideexpertise in pharmacokinetics and antimicrobial stewardship, criticalcare, infectious diseases, cardiology, internal medicine, hematology/oncology, ambulatory care, drug information, transplantation,emergency medicine, and addiction medicine.
The AGH Department of Pharmacy routinely monitors aminoglycoside and vancomycin therapy, providing dosage adjustments as necessary. Pharmacokinetic consultations for therapeutic monitoring of selected medications are provided upon request. A clinical pharmacist may be consulted to assist in any medication-related problem or for patient education. When such a request is received, a clinical pharmacist will review the patient’s medications and provide specific dosage, drug serum level analysis, and follow-up information to the requesting physician. Ongoing evaluation and adjustment of dosage will be provided as needed.
There is a pharmacy-driven medication use governance structure that centralizes leadership, integrates pharmacy operations, and enhances medication safety, clinical effectiveness, process efficiency and the quality of performance across AGH and nine other hospitals. The medication use governance structure is centered on the ten-hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee, which is composed of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, risk management, and a representative from senior health system administration.
