DISPENSING TO
OUT-PATIENTS OR
AMBULATORY
PATIENTS
HOSPITAL PHARMACY 610-T
SHUMAILA QADIR
RECALL OF THE PREVIOUS:
• Definition of in-patient
• Dispensing and distribution to in-patient
• Distribution guidelines
• Methods of distribution
a) Individual drug order
b) Floor stock system
c) Unit dose dispensing
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Definition of out-patient or ambulatory patient
• Categorization of ambulatory patients
a) Emergency care
b) Referral or tertiary care
c) Primary care
OUT-PATIENT
• Is a patient who is hospitalized for less than 24 hours.
• Or a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital,
clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment.
• They are also referred to as an ambulatory patients.
• Out-patients mostly need primary care.
• Out-patient dispensing is one of the basic fundamental of pharmacy
department in any hospital.
OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT
CATEGORIES OF AMBULATORY
PATIENTS:
• Emergency care
• Referral or tertiary care
• Primary care
EMERGENCY:
• Emergency patient means an individual who is acutely ill, injured, or
otherwise incapacitated or helpless and who requires emergency care. OR
• A person given emergency or accidental care for conditions which require
immediate medical attention suffering from serious health conditions or
illness.
• The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medical and
surgical care to patients arriving at the hospital in need of immediate
care. Emergency department personnel may also respond to certain
situations within the hospital like cardiac arrests or any accident.
TERTIARY CARE:
• One who concerns directly to outpatient department by his attending
medical practitioner for specific or special treatment other than an
emergency treatment.
• Highly specialized medical care usually over an extended period of
time that involves advanced and complex procedures and treatments
performed by medical specialists.
• Examples of tertiary care services are cancer management,
neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, plastic surgery, treatment for severe
burns, advanced neonatology services, palliative, and other complex
medical and surgical interventions.
PRIMARY CARE:
• Primary care is majority care.
• It describe a range of services adequate for meeting the great majority
of daily personal health needs.
• Most primary care is used by patients who are ambulatory i.e are able
to move about freely.
• This majority includes the need for preventive health maintenance and
for the evaluation and management on a continuing basis of general
discomfort, early complaints, symptoms, problems and chronic aspects
of disease.
• It doesn’t include intensive or specialized services.
SUMMARY:
• Outpatient is also known as ambulatory patient.
• A patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or
associated facility for diagnosis or treatment.
• These patients are divided into three categories: emergency, tertiary and primary care.
• Emergency patient means an individual who is acutely ill, injured, or otherwise helpless
and who requires emergency care.
• A patient in tertiary care need highly specialized medical care usually over an extended
period of time that involves advanced and complex procedures and treatments
performed by medical specialists.
• Primary care describes a range of services adequate for meeting the great majority of
daily personal health needs.
REFERENCES:
• Nadeem Bukhari for hospital pharmacy.
• William.E.Hassan for hospital pharmacy.
