Managing the COVID-19 health crisis: a survey of Swiss hospital pharmacies.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare systems immensely as of 2020. Switzerland's hospital pharmacies' responses during the first wave were surveyed with a view to improving the quality of pharmaceutical management in future health crises.

Methods: An online survey was sent to the heads of all of Switzerland's hospital pharmacies.

Full-scale simulations to improve disaster preparedness in hospital pharmacies.

Purpose: Assess whether full-scale simulation exercises improved hospital pharmacies' disaster preparedness.

Methods: Swiss hospital pharmacies performed successive full-scale simulation exercises at least four months apart. An interprofessional team created two scenarios, each representing credible regional-scale disasters involving approximately fifty casualties (a major road accident and a terrorist attack).

Using risk analysis to ensure patients' medication safety during hospital relocations and evacuations.

Objectives: To ensure patient safety and the preparedness of medication processes during hospital relocations and evacuations by using Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA).

Methods: The relocation of six regional hospitals to a single building, resulting in 400 beds being moved, could be compared with an emergency evacuation. An FMECA was performed on the hospital group's internal medicine and intensive care units (IMU and ICU), examining how medication processes would be affected by a hospital relocation or evacuation.

Using risk analysis to anticipate and mitigate failures during a hospital pharmacy relocation.

Objectives: Documented experiences of relocating hospital pharmacies are rare, but adequate preparation is vital to ensuring smooth pharmacy operation and patient safety. In the autumn of 2019, the Pharmacy of Eastern Vaud Hospitals, composed of four units (Logistics, Manufacturing, Clinical Pharmacy, and Nursing Home Supply), was relocated to a new hospital in just a few days. In this context, a failure modes, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) was carried out before the relocation in order to anticipate any failure modes likely to affect the pharmacy's missions or patient safety during the move.

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness of European Hospital Pharmacists: A Survey.

Objective: This study was focused on reviewing the emergency and disaster preparedness of European hospital pharmacists.

Methods: An online survey based on International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) guidelines for natural disasters was sent to European hospital pharmacies, with the support of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists. Additional questions were added about the characteristics of respondents, as well as preparedness and experience of manmade disasters.

Prescription of Sedative Drugs During Hospital Stay: A Swiss Prospective Study.

Background: In recent years, the number of prescriptions for sedative drugs has increased significantly, as has their long-term use. Moreover, sedative use is frequently initiated during hospital stays.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe new prescriptions of sedative drugs during hospital stays and evaluate their maintenance as discharge medication.