Authors (including presenting author) :
Leung WK, Chan HH, Law WL, Chan WY, Mak CK, Mak LK
Affiliation :
Department of Pharmacy, Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Introduction :
Pharmacy aseptic service adopts a controlled, sterile environment, where highly qualified pharmacy staff prepare injectable medications in ready-to-administer forms for patients. Aseptic service enhances medication quality and safety which is an essential service to support clinical care requiring aseptic preparations.
Previously, at Tseung Kwan O Hospital (TKOH), all aseptic products were prepared by the Aseptic Dispensing Unit at United Christian Hospital (UCH) and transported to TKOH. This logistics inevitably caused prolonged waiting time before drug administration and limited the capability to accommodate urgent requests. Besides, anesthetists used to prepare patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine and intravenous lignocaine in the operating theaters (OT) for post-operative use. This complex preparation was time-consuming, and the OT environment may be suboptimal for aseptic preparations.
Starting-up an in-house aseptic service at TKOH Pharmacy would be a cost-effective way to cater the increasing service demand and relieve workload at UCH.
Objectives :
(1) To establish an aseptic service at TKOH Pharmacy for timely provision of non-hazardous aseptic products;
(2) To triage the aseptic workload within the Kowloon East Cluster (KEC); and
(3) To enhance patient care and medication safety
Methodology :
During the preparatory phase, the aseptic suite was certified to comply with International Standards. Pharmacy personnel were trained and validated by a series of assessments. In the implementation phase, aseptic products were supplied to various departments, including intravenous monoclonal antibodies for oncology patients, intracameral antibiotics for ophthalmology patients, and high-risk intravenous medications administered in OT.
Result & Outcome :
Aseptic Service at TKOH was implemented in February 2024 and a team of pharmacists and dispensers meeting Hospital Authority Aseptic Dispensing Service Competency Standards was formed. TKOH aseptic service successfully assumed 34.4% of the workload previously handled by UCH. On-site aseptic service streamlined ordering process, enabled processing to shorten over 1 hour. Aseptic products, previously prepared in advance at UCH, could now be prepared at TKOH on the day of administration. Flexibility for treatment regimen changes was promoted as more than 60 urgent ad-hoc requests were accommodated without delaying administration time throughout the year. Preparing injectables in aseptic suite has also guaranteed product quality and safety.
Implementing the Aseptic Service at TKOH Pharmacy has effectively redistributed the aseptic workload within the Kowloon East Cluster, resulting in more efficient supply, improved product quality and medication safety.
