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Should the hospital pharmacy participate in the dispensing of Rh Immune Globulin (RhIg)

A group of non-profit hospitals are trying to standardize some of their practices in transfusion medicine and in the transfusion services laboratory. At the present some of these hospitals are issuing (dispensing) RhIg from the pharmacy, with the understanding that pharmacy is accustomed to issuing drugs, and can track lot numbers and products to the patient. In the hospitals that dispense RhIg from the pharmacy, the Transfusion Service performs the patient work-up that determines if RhIg is indicated, and if so, how many vials. That information is then called to pharmacy. Pharmacy issues the RhIg to the patient and logs this information into the computer. If a recall is ever needed, this would be performed by pharmacy. These hospitals have found this to be very helpful in reducing some of the workload in the transfusion service. They are interested to learn if others are also having Pharmacy participate in the issuing of this product, and if so, how their process is set up.

Editor's note: For another viewpoint, colleagues may find an earlier discussion on this forum of interest.

Please submit comments to the e-Network Forum.

Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator
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Posted: July 23, 2003

Addenda:

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