Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy Department of Muhimbili National Hospital provides high quality pharmaceutical care services to both inpatients and outpatients attending the hospital. Pharmacy department has the obligation to ensure that most essential medicines are available through effective and cost effective supply chain management including efficient and cost-effective procurement, storage, and distribution and ensuring rational dispensing of the medicines and medical device to various clients. Using a comprehensive computerized medication administration records, pharmacy department maintains a comprehensive computerized drug profile for all patients served in all pharmacies. The department also provides counseling to patients to enhance drug adherence.

Organization Structure and Functions of the Department

The MNH pharmacy department is organized into four operational units namely: Central drug stores and Drug Information Unit, Local Pharmaceutical Production Unit, Out-patient Pharmaceutical Unit and In-patient Pharmaceutical Unit. All pharmacies in the hospital are fully computerized and utilize the Jeeva system to carry out all pharmaceutical transactions. The computerized system enables pharmacy staff to locate any medicine which is out of stock in one pharmacy but is available in another pharmacy.

Main drug store and Drug information Unit

Main Drug Store ensures that all essential medicines are available in the hospital through proper procurement, inventory, storage, and distribution with assistance of a fully computerized network system. This unit procures medicines and medical supplies from Medical Stores Department (MSD) or from local suppliers of those medicines which are not available at MSD by using hospital Procurement Management Unit (PMU).

Drug Information Unit:

This unit is responsible for responding to pharmaceutical queries from all patients attending the hospital including MNH staff. It is also responsible for the preparation and publishing of MNH formulary as approved by the Hospital Medicines and Therapeutic Committee and to facilitate monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADR) poisoning reporting. The unit is also responsible for informing all prescribers in the hospital which medicines are available in all pharmacies across the hospital. This helps clinicians to prescribe to patients medicines which are available in the hospital and not those which are out of stock.

Local Pharmaceutical Production Unit

This unit is responsible for preparation of both sterile and non-sterile preparations. It is also responsible for preparation of extemporaneous products not available in the pharmaceutical companies. The unit is under major renovation to meet good manufacturing product (GMP) specifications.

Outpatient Pharmaceutical Unit

The Unit comprises New Outpatient Department (NOPD) Pharmacy, Main Dispensing Pharmacy, Ocean Road NHIF Pharmacy, IPPM Pharmacy at the NOPD and New IPPM pharmacy located at the Transport building, which runs 24 hours.

In-patient Pharmaceutical Unit

The Unit comprises pharmacies in the following blocks: Mwaisela, Kibasila, Sewahaji, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Maternity, Emergency Medicine Department (EMD) Pharmacy and Cardiac building. Clinical pharmacists in this unit are integrated in the clinical management of inpatients by taking part in ward rounds and provide pharmaceutical advice to clinicians for proper management of inpatients.

1. Mwaisela Pharmacy serves patients admitted in the medical wards under the department of Internal Medicine.
2. Kibasila Pharmacy serves patients admitted in the department of Surgery including those who have undergone surgical procedures.
3. Sewahaji Pharmacy serves patients admitted in the departments of Gynaecology, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) and ophthalmology.
4. Psychiatry Pharmacy serves about 400 patients who are intravenous drug users attending Methadone Assisted clinic. It also serves both psychiatry department inpatients and outpatients including those undergoing substance abuse detoxification.
5. Pediatric Pharmacy serves patients admitted in the departments of Pediatric and Child care, patients undergoing renal dialysis, Oncology patients at Tumaini and Upendo wards and dispenses oral morphine for palliative care patients admitted in various wards in the hospital.
6. Maternity Pharmacy serves patients admitted in the maternity wards in the department of Obstetrics. This pharmacy also serves pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinic.
7. EMD Pharmacy serves patients attending emergency department which is a point where most patients to be admitted at MNH wards get initial medical care.
8. Cardiology Pharmacy serves patients with cardiac medical and surgical conditions both inpatients and outpatients.