Establishing pharmacy operations in a new hospital while transferring existing operations to new ownership

The process of moving pharmacy services and personnel from an existing hospital to a new hospital while maintaining patient care and operations at both facilities is described.

The project management structure for the new hospital is described, including the establishment of a departmental coordination team (DCT) for the pharmacy. The purpose of the pharmacy DCT was to plan and coordinate new hospital move-in and pharmacy operations as well as the transition of the existing hospital to new ownership. The use of action item lists and project scorecards kept the project on schedule and on budget. The pharmacy DCT's action item list, which sorted items into four categories (facilities, equipment, operations, and staffing), was reviewed and updated at the weekly meeting of pharmacy leadership and served as the principal guiding document for the pharmacy DCT. Planning and implementation are described for the areas of operations and workflow, staffing, information technology, materials management, accreditation and licensure, and orientation and training. On the transition day, patients under care by physicians employed by the governing organization were transferred to the new facility while patients under care by community physicians remained at the existing facility under new ownership and new administration. Integral to the successful transition were early planning, the provision of adequate training for all employees, and collaboration among organizations, departments, and individuals.

A well-coordinated plan resulted in the successful establishment of pharmacy practice in a new hospital and the transition of an operational pharmacy practice and facility to new ownership while maintaining quality patient care.