Interim Pharmacy Director

Interim Pharmacy Director

Setting the Scene

A 260-bed hospital in the Southeast was experiencing turmoil in its Pharmacy department. A high rate of turnover and other chronic problems with Pharmacy leadership contributed to operational inconsistencies and low morale among Pharmacy staff. An earlier assessment had also identified regulatory issues affecting Pharmacy. Compass Clinical Consulting deployed an interim Director of Pharmacy to take leadership of the department and address its operational and regulatory issues.

Crafting a Solution

The interim Director of Pharmacy began by assessing the department’s day-to-day operations. He discovered that the hospital was missing opportunities to use specific therapeutically equivalent, but less expensive drugs. He restructured the hospital’s formulary to include these safe and cost-effective medications. He also began immediate efforts to rebuild department morale and repair relationships with key nursing divisions. When it was discovered that respiratory therapists were inappropriately administering certain medications, the interim Pharmacy Director collaborated with Compass’ regulatory compliance experts to clarify requirements and provide the education to correct the issue.

Seeing the Results

The interim’s changes to the formulary saved $700,000 for the hospital. Increased operational efficiency led to lower labor costs, as the Pharmacy department was able to function at a high level with 5 fewer FTEs than indicated by an earlier consultant’s recommendations. Furthermore, the stability provided by the interim Director of Pharmacy significantly improved interdepartmental cooperation and medical staff relationships. Improved patient satisfaction and quality were achieved through focused education regarding medication administration and pharmacy preparation of chemotherapy treatments.

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