The clinical pharmacist as a member of the burn team

Pharmacists are becoming involved increasingly in a patient care. At the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, a pharmacist has become a member of the multidisciplinary burn team. Through participation in work rounds and team conferences, the pharmacist has had a considerable beneficial impact on drug therapy, drug dosing, monitoring adverse drug reactions, and total parenteral nutrition. Specific benefits to patient care that the pharmacist provides are discussed and also the benefits derived in using a burn unit as a clinical teaching rotation for pharmacy students. The pharmacist has found his association with the burn unit to be professionally rewarding and the attending surgeons and surgical house staff have found his input to be valuable. The authors encourage other burn units to enlist a pharmacist as part of their burn team.