KJMC’s clinical pharmacy program operates in a unique model that merges staffing functions and clinical practice into daily routine. Advanced robotic dispensing technology and the ability to access pharmacy orders anywhere in the acute-care facility promotes continuous interaction between the centralized and decentralized pharmacists. The clinical pharmacists verify medication orders for their dedicated nursing units for an average of 3 hours/day, which enables the resolution of Pharmacy, attribute the improvement problem orders at the point-of-order entry, along with transparency of the interventions they document to the centralized pharmacists. The setup encourages active dialogue and clinical discussions between the two groups on pertinent topics, which ensures a closed loop system that decreases medication errors.

Kingsbrook’s Pharmacy division implemented a computerized physician order entry system (“CPOE”), and is recognized as being among the early adopters of such a system that is recognized as being critical to advanced safe patient care.  Kingsbrook built upon this through the final full implementation of a closed loop medication administration system.  Such a system ensures that a patient receives medications that have been dispensed and administered only after computerized confirmation of the medication and its dosage, and further checking of the medication for the particular patient using bedside bar code technology.  Kingsbrook believes it is among only 5% of hospitals throughout the United States that has effectively implemented such a system for the benefit of its patients. 

Pharmacy is currently implementing a new centrally-located Drug Information Center which will provide drug information to physicians, pharmacists, nurses, allied healthcare professionals, and patients affiliated with Kingsbrook.  It will also enable patients with medication and health-related questions or meet with the Drug Information Pharmacist for face-to-face consultations.  The Drug Information Pharmacist will have access to the patient's electronic medical records and can provide patient-specific recommendations averting medication misadventures and properly triaging adverse drug reactions.  The goal of the center is to provide a centralized hospital resource of unbiased, up-to-date, and comprehensive drug information for health professionals and patients at Kingsbrook enhancing the quality of patient life and care.