Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital
Department of Pharmacy Services
Clerkship Information

Overview

Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital
Department of Pharmacy Services

The Department of Pharmacy Services provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services from its thirteen-hundred square foot facility on the first floor of the hospital. The pharmacy staff includes a Chief Pharmacist, Deputy Chief Pharmacist, three Staff Pharmacists and four Technicians. Also, there is usually one Pharmacy Extern in residence. In-house pharmacist support is available Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm, and 8 am to 5 pm on weekends and holidays. An on-call pharmacist is available via cellular phone during hours the pharmacy is closed. Most pharmacists are Commissioned Officers in the Indian Health Service.

The Department provides inpatient and outpatient services based on the Pharmaceutical Care Model. The inpatient and outpatient patient management systems are computerized. Drug Information resources include extensive computerized databases including MicroMedix, Iowa Drug Information Service and electronic access to Medline, and recent editions of major pharmaceutical references.

For calendar year 2000 (ending 10-31-00), the Department filled 42,665 outpatient prescriptions, delivered 75,649 unit-dosed medications to inpatients and prepared 9,993 IV solutions.

The Externship Program

The two areas of focus for the three-month clerkship are: Community, Hospital Pharmacy, and Ambulatory Care:

Goal: The goals of both clerkships are to develop clinical skills for the student pharmacists necessary to function as members of the health care team and develop expertise in pharmacotherapy.

Objectives: Upon completion of the clerkship, the student pharmacist will be able to do the following:

• Interview patients for the purpose of obtaining data relating to pharmacotherapy using the SOAP format.
• Perform physical assessment activities for the purpose of monitoring patients relating to pharmacotherapy.
• Interpret subjective and objective data to access patient’s status with respect to pharmacotherapy.
• Formulate drug therapy plans including necessary laboratory studies, dietary, nondrug therapy referrals and follow-up.
• Provide drug therapy education to patients and members of the health care team.
• Process inpatient and outpatient medication orders (Approximately 40% of the Extern’s time will be providing drug distribution functions, one-half in inpatient and one-half in outpatient.)
• Additional objectives as required by the Extern’s Academic Institution.

Housing/Meals: Pharmacy students are housed in the Empty Arms apartments on the Mt. Edgecumbe campus and meals are provided in the hospital staff cafeteria. Please see THE EXTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE: Looking Back for the student pharmacists’ views.

Preceptor Information: The preceptor, or his or her designee, will spend minimally 20% of the work time providing one-on-one teaching of the Extern.

Application Dates: see When to Apply

Application Form: <Click Here>

Contact:
Traci Gale Pharm D.
Acting Director, Department of Pharmacy Services
Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital
222 Tongass Dr.
Sitka, AK 99835
(907) 966-8309
FAX (907) 966-8450
e-mail: traci.gale@searhc.org

last updated: 08-17-01