R1.5 Million Upgrade of Red Cross Children's Hospital Pharmacy Department

The pharmacy staff at Red Cross Children's Hospital will now be able to reduce the waiting times for all out patients requiring medicines after the hospital's pharmacy department received a R1.5 million upgrade on 28 April 2005.

Jenny Gordon-Graham the Chief Pharmacist said the workflow is now optimised as outpatient and inpatient dispensing areas are separate and therefore the workflow is much improved. "The extra space has given the staff more room to work in and this has significantly improved staff morale," she said.

Gordon-Graham added that the hospitals dispensing area has doubled. On average the department issues 16 000 items of medication per month to patients and including tablets, syrups, injections, sterile feeds, ointments and lotions.

Dispensing in a paediatric hospital is a much more labour intensive activity than dispensing for adults. The Hospital looks after children to the age of 13 years, the dosages are dependent on body weight and are not all standardized. The pharmacists must ensure that the parents or care givers understand the dosages and how to give the medicines to the children.

Gordon-Graham added that this unit now complies with the new provisions of the pharmacy act, which comes into effect on 1 July 2005. "We are also pleased that our outpatient waiting times will be significantly reduced, in support of the Hospital's Quality Care programme," she said.

The Provincial Government commissioned the R1, 5m upgrading. Laura Angeletti du Toit, Director, Department of Transport and Public Works-Health said the pharmacy project was included in the general upgrading project, which focused on the ground floor of the main Hospital building.

The total cost of the project is close to R5 000 000. "Planning started at the end of 2002 and it included the dispensary area, the provision of a rest room for staff, counselling Room and an additional store", she said.