Pharmaceutical services in a United States Army field hospital

Abstract

Pharmaceutical services in a United States Army field hospital are described. The field hospital was deployed to Honduras to support United States troops during military exercises. Pharmaceutical services were provided from a large tent near the hospital, which consisted of an emergency treatment facility, two operating rooms, and a small medical-surgical ward. One pharmacist and four technicians provided outpatient pharmaceutical services 10 hours per day, seven days per week; pharmacy personnel were on call at other times. The majority of pharmacy time was spent prepackaging and labeling medications for use by medical teams visiting local villages to provide health care to Honduran natives. The pharmacy's drug distribution, inventory control, and intravenous admixture activities in light of limited personnel and storage space, long supply lines, and lack of an aseptic working area are described. Pharmacist-physician interactions regarding drug therapy and common ailments of United States troops and Honduran natives are also discussed. During a two-month period, the field hospital pharmacy dispensed approximately 24,000 prescriptions. Pharmaceutical services played an important role in the success of the field hospital's mission and provided aid to the population of an impoverished country that might not otherwise have received it.