UCSD Medical Center
Department of Pharmacy
Mission: The Pharmacy Department provides excellent patient care through safe and
effective drug therapy. It strives toward leadership in pharmacy practice, education, and
research.
The UC San Diego Health System Pharmacy Department includes inpatient, clinic,
home infusion, and take-home prescription services. It is the primary teaching site for
the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. It is staffed by
pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and support personnel. Faculty from the Skaggs
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have practice and teaching
responsibilities in some patient care areas and clinics. The Pharmacy Department
conducts pharmacy residency training in general and specialized areas of pharmacy
practice (critical care, infectious disease, oncology, organ transplant), and teaches
pharmacy students from the University of California, all of whom participate directly in
the provision of patient care.
Pharmacists and pharmacy residents serve as members of interdisciplinary patient care
teams on inpatient medical, surgical and intensive care units. In the ambulatory care
oncology, palliative care, transplantation, asthma, CHF, and HIV. The Pharmacy
Department staffs the Anticoagulation Clinic. The pharmacy home infusion service staff
includes pharmacists and nurses, and provides care for patients seen by the UC San
Diego medical staff. The Department also has formal programs in the areas of applied
pharmacokinetics, antimicrobial monitoring and investigational drugs..
The Pharmacy Department operates 24-hour pharmacy services at both Hillcrest and
La Jolla Medical Center locations. Drug distribution is provided through computeractuated dispensing equipment (Pyxis Medstation). All UCSDHS patients--ambulatory
care, inpatient, and home care--are included in an integrated computerized patient
information system. A computerized physician order entry system (CPOE) has been
implemented. Currently, pharmacists in the patient care setting review all medication
orders for inpatients. A barcode driven medication administration system and smart IV
pumps are in place to reduce risks for medication errors.
Pharmacy Leadership:
Charles Daniels, RPh, PhD, FASHP
Pharmacist-in-Chief
Associate Dean, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Raffi Simonian, PharmD, FCSHP
Director, Inpatient Pharmacy Operations
Gary Hagney, RPh
Director, Ambulatory Pharm Operations
Contact Numbers: [619] 543-6194 [619] 543-5829 Fax
Key points
Clinical pharmacists are available for all areas.
 Pharmacist have prescribing authority to clarify and modify patient’s
orders under certain circumstances.
 Pagers are posted in every nursing unit. Use your pharmacist!
Write discharge prescriptions 24 hours in advance whenever possible.
 Fill out form completely including anticipated discharge date, instructions
and whether patients will get prescriptions filled at UCSD prior to leaving.
 All CII-CV medications must be written on a Security Form from the
attending physician and signed by the attending after the form is
completed. CIII-CV orders may be called directly to the pharmacist.
 At Hillcrest, contact the Discharge Pharmacist via pager @ 619-290-5636
during business hours 7 days/week if you have any questions.
Specific medication order issues
 Timeliness of certain high risk medication orders, eg. TPN [due by 1300]
and cancer chemotherapy orders.
 Pharmacists have prescribing authority per the Pharmacy and
Therapeutics committee to make adjustments to certain medication
orders.