Decentralized operating room pharmacy services in a military teaching hospital

The development, initiation, and evaluation of a decentralized pharmacy satellite within the operating room, requiring neither additional capital funding nor any major construction, is described. The satellite offers numerous programs to aid the operating room staff. Included in this effort is the complete management of all controlled substances within the operating room, post-anesthesia-care unit, and same-day-surgery unit. Pharmacists function as pharmaceutical resources playing a major role in the pain service unit. Success of the satellite is assessed via a number of parameters including staff survey response, quality assurance impact, and inventory management.