Hospital pharmacists - how is your department affected by the covid pandemic?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
P

penicillinman

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2013
Messages
143
Reaction score
95
I was just curious how your department has been affected by covid ? Business as usual? People being assigned to cover remotely? Clinical shifts being pulled to cover from central ? Etc etc. at my place, so far it is business as usual.
Members don't see this ad.
 
So far the main problem is people calling out to take care of their kids. Yes, we are starting to use clinical people to cover some central shifts. Census actually seems to be down for now, as the ER is doing a pretty good job triaging patients and only admitting those who should be admitted.

We are trying to figure out how to run APPEs. I have a student starting Monday, and it will be a 100% virtual rotation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Just gonna copy/paste what I wrote elsewhere:

At mine, all of our elective surgeries have been cancelled for the next few weeks. Consequently, the OR pharmacists as well as the clinical pharmacists for the post-op floor have little to no work to do as their floors are practically empty. Now they're trying to find them something to do for the most part in central pharmacy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
Mainly drug shortages, stocking up on sterile PPE, revision of SOP if we run out of PPE, clean room adaptations and testing, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Were prepping workflow to support our ED and ICU pharmacists/techs when a surge happens. Optimizing pyxis and med distribution to limit nurses and techs need to go in and out of containment areas. All staff are considered essential employees so no plans to remote work yet.
 
Yes, major drug shortage and rationing of PE.
 
Right now it's pretty dead. I think people are scared to come to the hospital and get the corona, so they basically only come if they're on death's doorstop.

We are scrambling around for all of the supplies that you would expect to go short: PPE, hand sanitizer, breathing treatments, etc.

We are required to take our own temperature each morning before we come to work (honor system). Meetings and things we would normally do in person are moving to be remote. That's about it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Sounds like everyone is experiencing what we are; the calm before the storm. It's almost eerie.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
any updates? It seems that the powers that be are eyeing another shut down in fall
 
One of the hospital systems near me have shut down their pension plan.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: 1 user
penicillinman said:
Where did you see that?
Click to expand...

There have been plenty of hints and suggestions that a shutdown may be necessary again. I think it was Dr. Fauci who had said that (it was at one of Trump's press briefings that I was half listening to, so it might have been someone else.) Of course, they are going under the assumption that the virus will "go away" during the summer, and then "come back" in the fall, similar to how it's works with the flu. However, COVID is a different virus, and I haven't seen any evidence to support their assumption (indeed COVID is hitting hard in many countries who are now in their summer phase.)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
TheBlaah said:
One of the hospital systems near me have shut down their pension plan.
Click to expand...

Many companies have put that kind of thing on hold, because there just isn't any money coming in.

While I'm not practicing, my area has not been very hard-hit, and I've heard that the hospitals are almost at holiday-level census because people aren't there unless they really need to be there.
 
We've been fortunate enough to avoid layoffs and are doing better than other local systems, but patient volume remains low and we've been warned that things might get rough soon.
 
Hospitals will get screwed over as well. In fact they will be under more threat than even retail. Bread and butter of hospital is elective surgeries and emergency visits; all of which are down like 50% if I were to guess.

How long can this be sustainable?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Chrish said:
Hospitals will get screwed over as well. In fact they will be under more threat than even retail. Bread and butter of hospital is elective surgeries and emergency visits; all of which are down like 50% if I were to guess.

How long can this be sustainable?
Click to expand...
we are back to almost 90% of precovid levels.....
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Rockinacoustic said:
Were prepping workflow to support our ED and ICU pharmacists/techs when a surge happens. Optimizing pyxis and med distribution to limit nurses and techs need to go in and out of containment areas. All staff are considered essential employees so no plans to remote work yet.
Click to expand...

So, almost 4 months later:
The ED never did get clobbered and our volumes were down > 50%. Were still not at our typical volume, maybe 75% of normal.
Our ICU got slammed and we had to move patient's into overflow areas. Our state's COVID case #'s are past peak and steady for now.
Definitely seeing a spike in mental health and substance abuse cases from shutdowns.
None of my pharmacists were furloughed or asked to take time off. Clinical services were maintained through telework in non-critical care areas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Rockinacoustic said:
So, almost 4 months later:
The ED never did get clobbered and our volumes were down > 50%. Were still not at our typical volume, maybe 75% of normal.
Our ICU got slammed and we had to move patient's into overflow areas. Our state's COVID case #'s are past peak and steady for now.
Definitely seeing a spike in mental health and substance abuse cases from shutdowns.
None of my pharmacists were furloughed or asked to take time off. Clinical services were maintained through telework in non-critical care areas.
Click to expand...

Our Covid numbers have reached peaked and is still climbing. It was the case a month ago that ICU was overloaded, but not anymore. Now it's just the regular med-surg covid floor that's full.
 
Everything here is pretty much back to normal, with the exception that the hospital finally moved to universal masking. The hospital is in a fairly low (?) prevalence area for Covid...very few Covid patients have actually been admitted to the hospital since the start of the pandemic.

I kind of doubt we have hit our peak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Our anticipated peak was late May, but it never came, and our ICU's didn't even hit capacity. Now, we are seeing a surge and models anticipate peak in September.

Friend of mine reported their hours were cut to 30 hours/week for a while and I think 20 at one point during May-June. It's back to normal currently.
 
The question from the planning standpoint is that we've drawn past most of our stockpile reserves, we really don't have a good supply chain, and we're going into an autumn and winter with a bunch of deferred care from the early spring that we expect higher than normal loads adjusted for seasonality. In any respect, I think it's going to be a "business is good" kind of winter. And that's not planning for the new influenza or some super COVID spreader or an end of immunity.

We're now back in the pre-antibiotic era for all intents and purposes. It's going to be a telling shift in our public behavior. It'll make life a little bit more exciting for the workers who have to face the public. Until we have enough casualties, we'll continue riding the waves until we crash on a distant shore.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
My question is - how comfortable are you guys going to McDonald’s right now?

Taco Bell?

Buying a slurpie from the gas station?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
The working assumption should be that everywhere you go has had someone with corona pass through.

Especially Walmart

Don't lick your hands or eat your boogers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I just want a freaking double chee with ketchup/mayo and a slurpee.

Slurpees used to be my thing. I would get one at least once every 3 days and I would alternate colors red/blue/green.

I have not had this since March.

Is anyone here freely eating out at fast food and gas stations? I am in the process of rationalizing my poor decisions and I am seeking for someone to validate my decision. All I need is for you to say, “oh yea I do that all the time and it’s totally safe. The news anchor said so” and I’ll do it.
 
Last edited:
JustFillIt said:
I just want a freaking double chee with ketchup/mayo and a slurpee.

Slurpees used to be my thing. I would get one at least once every 3 days and I would alternate colors red/blue/green.

I have not had this since March.

Is anyone here freely eating out at fast food and gas stations? I am in the process of rationalizing my poor decisions and I am seeking for someone to validate my decision. All I need is for you to say, “oh yea I do that all the time and it’s totally safe. The news anchor said so” and I’ll do it.
Click to expand...
From what I’ve heard, ordering food for takeout is probably safer than actually picking up inside the store and definitely safer than eating there. I think it’s considered low risk. That said, I’m doing neither aside from the takeout pizza I had one time (from a place I know follows safety protocols). At least it’s been good for the budget.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I did it.. I literally could not control myself. I went to Culver’s (burger joint).

On my way there I could literally feel my frontal lobe hypo-functioning. I’m so ashamed.... that was my first indulgence in fast food since March..

I skipped the slurpee though.

Omg - what have I done.....
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 1 user
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I don't normally eat fast food so nothing changed there. I don't think that's unsafe, though...

I was dying for some good Italian seafood, like frutti di mare or cioppino, so I got it today from a local restaurant. Only the third meal since March 5th that I did not cook myself... I heard that some hospitals were having food catered for all their personnel since the pandemic started. A couple of my NYC-based friends confirm.
 
Hels2007 said:
I don't normally eat fast food so nothing changed there. I don't think that's unsafe, though...

I was dying for some good Italian seafood, like frutti di mare or cioppino, so I got it today from a local restaurant. Only the third meal since March 5th that I did not cook myself... I heard that some hospitals were having food catered for all their personnel since the pandemic started. A couple of my NYC-based friends confirm.
Click to expand...

Yea dude I like tooty fruity too. That’s what I call it when I add bananas to my fruity pebbles.

Well so far I have survived the ordeal - with some minor GI distress of coarse. But I think this is to be expected.
 
Speaking of fruit, dealing with increasingly whacked out fruitcakes is going to be even more of an annoying problem as people's mental health takes a steeper dive (see previous posts on the matter)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Hels2007 said:
I don't normally eat fast food so nothing changed there. I don't think that's unsafe, though...

I was dying for some good Italian seafood, like frutti di mare or cioppino, so I got it today from a local restaurant. Only the third meal since March 5th that I did not cook myself... I heard that some hospitals were having food catered for all their personnel since the pandemic started. A couple of my NYC-based friends confirm.
Click to expand...

Our hospital had a lot of 'donations' from restaurants and such. Of course we never saw one bit of it here in the inpatient pharmacy.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 2 users
Okay! I just wanted to give everyone a quick update about my fast food buying experience.

It has been 5 days since the event where I could not control myself and I chowed down on a burger and fries which was prepared, cooked, and handled by a bunch of pimply faced teenagers. I ordered a double 1/3 lb cheeseburger with ketchup, mayo, and fresh onions (just the way I like it).

At this time, I have experienced no respiratory symptoms and generally feel fine. The only health issue I have to report would be a 6 hour span of GI distress which started about 3 hours post consumption.

Phew! Looks like I dodged the bullet on this one.. Maybe I’ll do it again....
 
A&W tried to market a third-pounder burger in the 80s but it was a flop because Americans thought it was a rip-off compared to McD's quarter-pounder.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 1 user
JustFillIt said:
Okay! I just wanted to give everyone a quick update about my fast food buying experience.

It has been 5 days since the event where I could not control myself and I chowed down on a burger and fries which was prepared, cooked, and handled by a bunch of pimply faced teenagers. I ordered a double 1/3 lb cheeseburger with ketchup, mayo, and fresh onions (just the way I like it).

At this time, I have experienced no respiratory symptoms and generally feel fine. The only health issue I have to report would be a 6 hour span of GI distress which started about 3 hours post consumption.

Phew! Looks like I dodged the bullet on this one.. Maybe I’ll do it again....
Click to expand...
Where'd u get that sandwich from
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

P
3 things future pharmacists should know about the profession Three Walgreens pharmacists share stories
Replies
7
Views
1K
Dred Pirate
Dred Pirate
Sunshine98*
Outpatient Hospital Interview
Replies
23
Views
2K
projektreverb
P
P
Walgreens seeks provider status for pharmacists: CEO
Replies
3
Views
597
projektreverb
P
H
Hospital APPE project
Replies
3
Views
675
Script1992
S
sunnyandseventytwo
Favorite songs about pharmacists
Replies
14
Views
1K
Xenophylia
Xenophylia
Top