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DEPARTMENT
PROFILE
The Pharmacy
Department of Mengo Hospital is perhaps as old as the hospital though it could
have been called by different names e.g. the Hospital Dispensary. To date, this
is one of the most important and vital department, for it plays a central role in
patients care by provision of essential, low cost and effective medical and
surgical consumables for the patients. The department is therefore a major source
of income for the hospital.
The pharmacy is
located in the Outpatient Department complex and it comprises the following
sections/units:
Pharmacy also
has annex units in the Albert Cook Complex comprising:
There is an out post for
surgical consumables – MCC (Medical Consumable Centre) situated between Luke
Ward and Katherine ward.
STAFFING
The pharmacy is
run by a committed team of personnel consisting of the following:
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Pharmacist
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1 |
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Dispensers
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7 |
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Pharmaceutical Assistant |
1 |
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Enrolled Nurses/Midwives |
4 |
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Store Keepers |
3 |
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Pharmacy Orderlies |
5 |
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Autoclave Assistant |
1 |
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Support Staff |
2 |
The Pharmacist the head
of department and is responsible for medicines and surgical consumables’
selection, procurement, storage and stock management. He is deputized by a
senior dispenser who is charged with personnel management and day to day
administration of the department.
SERVICE
OFFERED
Services
offered include:
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Dispensing of medicines and related items to general
patients, grade A & B patients and staff and students (who fall sick)
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Management and dispensing of specialised medicines
like:
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Preparation of I.V. fluid – limited.
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Preparation of mixtures and medicines for external use
like lotions and creams limited.
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Eye drops production – we supply eye drops to a number
of eye clinics especially to the church founded hospitals.
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Selection, procurement, storage and stock management
of all medicines (pharmaceuticals and surgical consumables).
CURRENT/UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEEDS
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Promoting the employment of dully qualified personnel
in the cadres of Dispensers (pharmacy technicians) and pharmaceutical
assistants. The aim I so that in the long run we would not have nurses/midwives
and pharmacy orderlies in the department. This is to raise pharmaceutical
expertise and also to promote efficiency and effectiveness. The process is slow
due to lack of enough cash flow in the hospital to meet the wage bill
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The Eye Drop Production section has been upgraded to
meet the Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA)’s GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice
standards. Our thanks go to CBM (Christfell Blinden Mission), Germany for
funding.
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There is a
need to upgrade our I.V. Fluid Production Unit. Currently
our production is very limited due to many factors including:
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Lack of manufacturing space
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Inadequate equipment for water distillation
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Frequent electric power cut outs.
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We are
lobbying for Reverse Osmosis Filtration System. This would
give
us enough distilled water for the I.V. fluid and eye drops production.
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Need for standby generator for the pharmacy department
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Need
for new Autoclaves for the sterilization of the I.V. fluids, Eye drops
and/or dressings and instrument as for other units e.g. wards.
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Currently we have two old autoclaves which are often out of service
due to
some technical faults.
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Need for a shed for the outpatients near the dispensing windows. The space
available now is not large enough during peak hours. This is the area
from where the outpatients wait for the dispensing of their
prescription or lineup to pay money to the cashier for the drugs and other
services. This shade would also shield patients from the rain during rainy
seasons. The measurements could be 450cm x 240 cm (about 15 feet x
8 feet).
e-mail:
pharm@mengohospital.com
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