Pharmacy

Pharmacy personnel serve patients from both the main pharmacy and satellite pharmacies throughout the hospital. Our model of integrative care, coupled with a decentralized pharmacy, provides increased opportunity for pharmacists to optimize medication therapy through collaboration with physicians, nurses, and patients. The department invests in the continuous education of both its team and student colleagues, with the core focus being the promotion of safe and effective medication use. We create an environment where our staff can establish themselves as a source of pride through advancing the health and well-being of our patients and the community members we serve. 

Clinical pharmacists identify, resolve, and prevent drug-related problems. To optimize workflow, clinical pharmacists provide drug information, use a drug safety monitoring system, and both recommend and monitor patient drug therapy. Clinical pharmacists interact with other healthcare providers to assure continuity of services and to achieve desired patient outcomes through safe, timely, cost-effective drug therapy.

Additional pharmacy services include:

• Antimicrobial stewardship, or the encouragement of patients to follow prescriptions and avoid overuse
• Automatic IV to oral and renal dose adjustments
• Blood clot medication management
• Electrolyte management
• Medication reconciliation, or identifying drug names, strengths and frequencies of medications patients take at home to aid in developing treatment plans inpatient
• Parenteral nutrition (e.g., IV nutrition)
• Pharmacokinetics, or the study of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion

At HCA Florida North Florida Hospital, we are committed to providing healthcare services that exceed the needs and expectations of those we serve in a safe and caring manner. The pharmacy is committed to assuring that our patients receive appropriate medications consistent with pharmaceutical care, to optimize and assure their safe use, and to prevent, identify and resolve drug-related problems. We take our responsibility for patient safety seriously. Our work is provided from a state-of-the-art pharmacy with the latest technology that emphasizes our commitment to medication safety. The pharmacy staff is collegial and professional. We are appreciated and valued for our role in patient care. We have high expectations of each other and demand high quality of patient care. In collaboration with our mission is the opportunity to teach. We train pharmacy residents and students in the provision of pharmaceutical care, as well as others, in order to improve the use of medications. 

Gainesville is the largest city and county seat of Alachua County. It serves as the cultural, educational, and commercial center for the north central Florida region. The population is 145,812 (2023) and cities within a 2-hour drive include: Jacksonville, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa, St. Augustine, Cedar Key, Live Oak, Ocala, and Lake City. Gainesville is the home of The University of Florida, Santa Fe College, the Gainesville Raceway and The Gatornationals (NHRA). Taxes: 7.5% retail sales tax (food and medicine exempt), homestead Exemption - up to $50,000, no state personal income tax, no state inheritance tax, no franchise tax and, no inventory tax. The city owns a regional transit system and a municipal airport. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums, and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida.