Hospital Pharmacy in the Multidisciplinary Team of COVID Inpatient Units

Since the implementation of the Antimicrobial Therapy Optimization Programme, hospital pharmacy specialists have collaborated with infectious disease specialists on a regular basis in most hospitals in Spain.  Cooperation between these professionals ensures the integrated management of patients with infectious diseases and the appropriate use of antimicrobials in  hospitals. The COVID-19 pandemic forced hospital pharmacists to abruptly  suspend all their structured activities and concentrate on the health crisis.  Realtime information sharing between different medicine specialties is an  effective strategy to generate and maintain treatment protocols adapted to each center, with continuous evidence-based modifications as new publications appear. Hospital pharmacies had to reorganize their activities to  respond to the pandemic. On the one side were patients with COVID-19, and on  the other were routine hospital pharmacy tasks, with the added difficulty of  adapting to individual protection measures. New communication and  collaboration strategies were adopted. Protocols were established for the  management of COVID-19 patients, with continuous changes; special  medications had to be prepared and distributed; circuits were designed for the  home- or institution-based care of patients; internal circuits were created to  minimize the movements of hospital staff and professionals caring for COVID-19  patients. The most effective antiviral drug and anti inflammatory therapy  remains elusive. In this scenario, hospital pharmacists emerge as a key player,  as they have a deep understanding of the mechanisms of action of drugs and  potential interactions. In a setting where experimental drugs preferably tested in clinical trials are being used, the role of hospital pharmacists in interdisciplinary  teams has become essential for the optimization of clinical outcomes.