[Index]

PHARMACY LOCATION AND HOURS
 
2.4 OBTAINING MEDICATIONS AFTER HOURS

 VGH (after hours: 2400-0630)

1.     Determine if the medication is available on any unit in the hospital.
·   
Check Master Wardstock List Binder (available on every unit) for location of the drug.
·   
RN to personally retrieve drug from another unit.
            Note:  Porters cannot be used to retrieve medications from another unit because:
                           i
.  Many units e.g. Emergency Department do not have well labelled unit-dosed oral medications.
                      
    ii. Porters do not have Omnicell access.

        2.     If a medication cannot be found on any unit and it is needed before pharmacy re-opens:
               
·    Charge nurse to call locating at -55000 to page the pharmacist on-call.
                            Note:
     i.   On-call pharmacists are NOT on site.   
                                          
ii.   Please allow for traveling time if a pharmacist is needed to return to VGH to
                                                 dispense a medication.

UBCH (after hours: 2400-0630; medications accessible from VGH Pharmacy until 2400 every day)

After hours medications are located in the Omnicell machines on all Koerner and Detwiller Nursing Units as well as the TCU in Purdy Pavilion.  Each unit is provided a hospital wide Omnicell medication list, which indicates the inventory of each machine.

A pharmacist is available on-call through switchboard for medications not in the Omnicell machine, or for any drug related questions.

GF STRONG (after hours: 1630-0800 Mon-Fri; all day week-ends & Stats)

After hours medications are located in the Omnicell machines on all GF Strong Nursing Units. Each unit is provided a hospital wide Omnicell medication list, which indicates the inventory of each machine.
 

Formulary medications that are not available in the Omnicell machine may be obtained at Vancouver General Hospital before 2400h.  After 2400, if a medication is needed urgently, a physician may call VGH switch board to page the VGH pharmacist on call.