Small town hospital – Big pharmacy practice
Learn more about the pharmacy services at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, located only 34 miles from Lexington.
Our Mission
To provide comprehensive quality pharmacy services in an innovative, collaborative practice model to support Ephraim McDowell Health’s mission.
Pharmacy Services Environment
Within our pharmacy services, we pride ourselves on providing a supportive and family-like atmosphere. Our residents are truly part of the team.
Pharmacy Services Involvement
Our pharmacists are integral members of a variety of organization-wide committees and teams. During the residency year, the residents will have the opportunity to be involved in several multidisciplinary teams.
Examples of teams with pharmacy involvement are:
- Clinical shared governance team
- Critical Care
- Emergency Services
- Infection Control
- Institutional Review Board (IRB)
- Medication Management and Safety
- Operational shared governance team
- Opioid Stewardship
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T)
- Research
- Sepsis
- Stroke
- Trauma
Pharmacy Services Practice Settings
Our residents are able to practice in diverse settings, such as:
- Anticoagulation Clinic
- Critical access hospitals
- Emergency department
- Heart Failure Clinic
- Inpatient central operations
- Inpatient decentralized operations
- Outpatient pharmacy
- Outpatient oncology clinic
Decentralized Pharmacist Locations
- Cardiology
- Emergency Department
- Intensive Care Unit
- Med/Surg Units (2 pharmacists)
Inpatient Pharmacy Services Practice
Ephraim’s inpatient central pharmacy is open 24 hours a day. In the evenings and on weekends, central pharmacy is responsible for medication orders/dispensing for the two critical access hospitals as well.
Outpatient Pharmacy Services Practice
- Anticoagulation Clinic
- Chemotherapy infusion clinic
- Discharge concierge medication delivery service
- Heart Failure Clinic
- Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Board Approved Protocols
- Immunization administration
- Medicationn dispensing
- Medication Therapy Management
- Patient counseling
Other Pharmacy Services
- 340b program
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Discharge concierge medication delivery service
- Home infusion services
- Pain Clinic
- Pharmacy informatics
Critical Care Practice
Ephraim has a 12-bed ICU with an average daily census of 8.2. On weekdays, the ICU pharmacist participates in bedside patient care rounds as part of the healthcare team. This team consists of the intensivist, hospitalist, nurse, respiratory therapist, case manager, dietician and social worker. The ICU pharmacist may encounter:
- Acute arrhythmias
- Acute decompensated heart failure
- Acute renal failure
- ARDS/Mechanical ventilation
- Cardiogenic shock
- Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECLS)
- Intoxication/Overdose
- Percutaneous mechanical support management
- Post-return of spontaneous circulation care (ROSC)
- Post-STEMI patients
- Sepsis/shock
Emergency Care Practice
Ephraim has a 23-bed emergency department with an average daily census of 80. On weekdays, a pharmacist staffs in the ED from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. In addition to a variety of clinical activities, the ED pharmacist reviews positive cultures from previously discharged patients to ensure appropriate antimicrobial prescribing.
Emergency response
Pharmacists are a required member of adult and pediatric emergency response teams. The residents are required to be BLS, ACLS, and PALS certified. From the start of orientation, residents are encouraged to respond to all emergencies paged overhead, which include:
- Chest pain
- Condition Blue
- Post-partum hemorrhage
- Rapid response
- Rapid sequence intubation (RSI)
- Sepsis
- Stroke
- Trauma
Cardiac Care Practice
Ephraim has two cardiac catheterization labs where a variety of procedures are performed, including:
- Aortic aneurysm management
- Carotid ultrasound/intervention
- Catheter-directed thrombolysis
- Coronary intervention/stenting
- Intra-Aortic balloon pump placement
- Pacemaker implantation
- Percutaneous ventricular assist device via Impella system placement
Surgical Care
- Bariatric surgeries
- General surgeries including appendectomies, amputations, and mastectomies
- Gastroenterological procedures
- Interventional radiology procedures
- Obstetrical/gynecologic surgeries including cesarean sections
- Orthopedic surgeries including hip, knee, ankle, and shoulder
- Spinal surgeries
- Thoracic surgeries
- Urological surgeries
Pediatric Care
Ephraim has a busy labor and delivery department. There is a Level 2 nursery for neonates who require a higher level of care including antibiotic therapy or oral morphine tapers for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Pediatric patients are most often seen in the ED but a limited number may be admitted. Common admission reasons include failure to thrive, need for IV antibiotics, and post-surgery care.
Pharmacy Services Accolades
- KSHP Innovative Health-System Pharmacy Practice Award – 2021, 2020, and 2017
- KPhA Professional Promotion Award – 2020
- KPhA Innovative Pharmacy Practice Award – Sarah Vickey – 2020
Hospital Accolades
- Accredited Chest Pain Center with PCI
- Acute Stroke Care Hospital certification from The Joint Commission
- Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery
- Gold Seals of Approval for total knee, total hip, spinal surgery and hip fracture from The Joint Commission
- Kentucky Hospital Association Quality Award – 2022, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2010
- Pediatric Ready Emergency Department