Children’s Medical Center in Dallas has 10 full-time emergency pharmacists in its ED, the most in the country, according to the report. They review nearly 20,000 prescription and medication orders each week, looking at patients’ weight, allergies, medications and health insurance.
For children’s hospitals like Children’s Medical Center, placing pharmacists in the ED is especially prudent, since medication errors are more likely to occur with children than adults, according to the report.
While hiring pharmacists specifically for the ED is an expense not all hospitals can afford, the service can reduce hospital readmissions, and thus reduce costs overall — and save lives.
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