Hospital pharmacy and the COVID-19 pandemic: Where do we go from here?
In this special section of Hospital News, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) is proud to share a glimpse into the fascinating world of hospital pharmacy. Like all members of the interprofessional care team, Canadian hospital pharmacy staff have weathered the immense challenges of 2020 and beyond by banding together to support one another more than ever. We’ve grappled with drug shortages, combated medical misinformation, and identified the cracks in our health systems that need our attention. All the while, hospital pharmacy teams have continued to provide exceptional patient care as trusted medication experts.
Looking back at these challenging years, we’re asking ourselves: Where do we go from here? How can we apply lessons learned during the pandemic to advance patient care through safe, effective medication use? In these next pages, you’ll find stories of hospital pharmacy teams’ answers to these questions. You’ll see remarkable innovation and dedication to patient care, whether it’s through enhancing the safety of mass vaccination clinics or leveraging technology in novel ways. As CSHP’s CEO, every day I witness the hospital pharmacy community’s unshakeable dedication to advocating for our patients. If anything, the pandemic has crystallized our priorities as a profession: to innovate and enhance pharmacy practices for a safer and more equitable future. The stories in these pages give me confidence that the lessons we’ve learned during the pandemic will improve the use of medication in Canadian health systems, thanks to the tenacity and collaborative spirit of our hospital pharmacy teams.
CSHP represents pharmacy professionals working in hospitals and other collaborative healthcare settings who seek excellence in patient care through the advancement of safe and effective medication use. We offer our 3,000+ members educational opportunities, national advocacy, information sharing, promotion of best practices, conferences, facilitation of research, and recognition of excellence. We also publish the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, conduct the Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Survey, and accredit pharmacy residency programs across Canada through the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board. To learn more, visit CSHP.ca.
Jody Ciufo
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists