Hospital Pharmacy

Our Team      Photogallery

A brief overview of the Hospital Pharmacy Specialized Center

The mission of the Specialized Center is to provide pharmaceutical care to the inpatient and outpatient population of the University Hospital in Motol as well as the set-up and control of all steps related to dealing with drugs that have an impact on the safety of patients and results of their treatment.

We process around 3.650 pharmaceutical request forms monthly and distribute over 1.022.000 packages of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and complementary assortments to the public annually.

Our center consists of 9 central departments - Individual Preparation of Pharmaceuticals, Collective Preparation of Pharmaceuticals, Central Preparation of Cytostatics, Sterile Pharmaceuticals, Clinical Pharmacy, Distribution of Pharmaceuticals I and II, Quality Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, and Medical Devices and Complementary Assortments.

How will your detailed schedule look like? What kind of preparations, procedures, methods and laboratory work can you observe? Check what can you see by shadowing every member of the mentoring team.

Is this specialty placement ideal for you?

  • This placement is ideal for you if you are already a student of pharmacy as you will be in one of the largest specialized centers taking care of thousands of people. You will be shadowing your mentors in the described pharmacy departments but also at the specialized centers with inpatient population where the help and consultation with clinical pharmacologists are needed daily. This placement offers you a fantastic opportunity to witness the process of care of the patient in this field. Check the daily schedule of your mentoring team; the members cooperate with all medical specialties. This type of placement is very intense as the Pharmacy Specialized Center works 24/7 and you can also work in night shifts.
  • Pharmacy placement is the best choice for aspiring pharmacologists and pharmacists who desire to gain international experience in a clinical environment of the largest hospital in Central Europe. Hospital Pharmacy is a very diverse workplace where you cooperate with numerous healthcare professionals in all of the parts of the hospital, and you are also in touch with adult and children patients, too.

Let's take a closer look at the Hospital Pharmacy…

The primary role of our team counting more than 90 professionals is to provide pharmaceuticals for inpatients and outpatients and to ensure the general set-up and control of all steps in dealing with drugs that have an impact on the safety of patients and results of their treatment. Apart from dispensing the pharmaceuticals, among our tasks is the individual and collective preparation of medicines in our laboratory. We ensure sterile preparations, such as cytotoxic agents or parenteral medicinal products without antimicrobial agents, and non-sterile preparations, especially for pediatric patients. 

Another part of our daily tasks is to be here for the patients and healthcare professionals across the specialties in the University Hospital in Motol. We provide consulting services to adult and children patients and healthcare professionals at the specialized centers and departments of the hospital. We organize educational activities as well as internships for pre- and postgraduate students.

We are of course involved in formulating the medication policy of the hospital and in creating the internal regulations of how the pharmaceuticals should be handled in our hospital, such as ensuring the most cost-effective medicine and so on. Another role of the hospital pharmacy is to take over the unregistered drugs and provide the drugs for clinical evaluations and or the clinical-pharmaceutical practice.

The team members of the Hospital Pharmacy regularly participate in research, surveys, national and international events or significant European projects such as the Common Training Framework in Hospital Pharmacy. Another excellent achievement took place in 2018 when the Head of the Hospital Pharmacy, PharmD. Petr Horák was elected as President of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists for the period from 2018 to 2021.

The Center consists of these departments:

  • Department of Individual Preparation of Pharmaceuticals
  • Department of Collective Preparation of Pharmaceuticals
  • Department of Central Preparation of Cytostatics
  • Department of Sterile Pharmaceuticals
  • Department of Clinical Pharmacy
  • Distribution of Pharmaceuticals I
  • Distribution of Pharmaceuticals II
  • Quality Control and Laboratory Diagnostics
  • Department of Medical Devices and Complementary Assortments

Who do we take care of?

We take care of the whole inpatient and outpatient population within the University Hospital in Motol. Our pharmacies work 24/7, so patients also come during the night especially from the Emergency Department for Adults and Emergency Department for Children. It is quite common that even patients from different cities use our services during the night in case of need. We also consult and help healthcare professionals across specialties as we do for patients in the adult and also in the children section of our hospital.

Our methods and procedures

We work with negative pressure isolators Envair CDC-E Getinge Group, laminar and biohazard box systems, Unguators, Conductometers, pH meters, and analytic scales Mettler-Toledo and other equipment. Among our newest methods and procedures used are the following ones:

  • Preparation of medicines according to newly introduced treatments (dimethylsulfoxide ointment)
  • Completion of the study of proposed liquid oral formulations of omeprazole
  • Acquisition of new conductive probes and ion-selective electrodes for laboratory drug control
  • Introduction of an acetylcysteine ointment formulation for the treatment of ichthyosis
  • Suggestion and preparation of selected medicines as substitutes of the pharmaceuticals that were temporarily inaccessible on the market, e.g., antibiotic ointments
  • Acquisition and implementation of a SAMIX® U1000 device for the preparation of medicinal products utilizing closed-loop technology, which allows an extension of the recommended shelf life
  • Purchase of new pharmacy scales capable of weighing accurately in the order of one ten-thousandth of a gram
  • A classification balance sheet was prepared according to Regulation No. 1272/2008/ EC for all chemical mixtures for in vitro use supplied to clinical workplaces by the hospital pharmacy

And there’s much more that you can observe!

How does the usual schedule look like?

  • You will have to get up very early as the mentors' itinerary is very busy right from the morning. The Hospital Pharmacy runs 24/7 and therefore you might have to work a number of shifts: morning, afternoon, night or even at the weekend. The hours spent in the hospital will differ daily according to the schedule and length of their shifts and planned tasks. Always ask your mentor when and where you should meet him or her for the following day and you can also ask about their itinerary, so you are well prepared. Bear it in mind that you will spend at least 25 hours in the hospital per week. But the actual number of hours may be higher.

If you are not sure whether this choice is suitable for you, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will discuss your experience and motivation and come up with the best solution for you.

Our Team


Photo Jan Šibík

Mgr. Markéta Dlouhá

Clinical Pharmacist

Pharmacist


I work as a clinical pharmacist at the Hospital Pharmacy Center, and my primary role is to work directly with healthcare teams at various hospital departments - mainly with the team of Traumatology Specialized Center, to consult specific cases with doctors, nurses and physical therapists and supervise the chosen pharmacotherapy of hospitalized patients. Apart from that I also work at the Department of the Distribution of Pharmaceuticals and in the night shifts to cover our 24/7 service to all patients.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

I started to think about my career in healthcare during my high-school studies, my brother went to medical faculty, and I decided for the pharmacy field. The first moment when I was sure that I chose the right professional future was at the university when we started to dig more deeply into the pharmacology, physiology, and medicine. I knew this is the right path for me. At the 4th year of my university studies, I did the internship in clinical pharmacy. And I do enjoy this profession ever since. 

Do you consider a career in pharmacy? As a clinical pharmacist, I cooperate with the whole Hospital Pharmacy. I need to make sure that we have a stock of a specific pharmaceutical, I collaborate with my colleagues at the Departments of Individual and Collective Preparation of Pharmaceuticals and many others. I must have an overview and knowledge about many aspects of the work in hospital pharmacy - the availability of the pharmaceuticals on the market so I can advise to doctors what would be the best solution for each patient that matches his individual needs and situation and so much more that you can start to learn, too.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

What I like about my profession is that it makes a sense to me and you can see the results of your work. That is entirely satisfactory. When we establish effective communication with the doctors, then you become a part of their team at the specialized center. I also cooperate with nurses and physical therapists as we need to think about all the aspects of the treatment of the patient including his physical rehabilitation.

We also need to take into account if the patient is dependent and if he can take his prescribed medication on his own or what are the alternative solutions then. My role is to be a partner to them all and to be able to help and consult with all on a multidisciplinary basis. I like to see the patient in person as then my decision is based on his specific situation whereas if I would decide only based on the information, which I read in my computer or heard over the phone, my approach could differ.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

I start my day at 7 am, and together with the Traumatology Specialized Center's Team we do several patient ward rounds at the ICU and also at the standard inpatient ward to go through patient cases individually. We will check the pharmacotherapy for patients before and after surgery, in intensive care or before they are released. You can follow with me the patient through this process while focusing on their medication, blood count, blood biochemistry results, whether anticoagulants or antibiotics are needed. Our main goal is to make the overall treatment successful and satisfactory. I am also in charge of consulting the cases at various departments around the hospital where we do not partake in the therapy regularly. So you can witness multiple cases in different specialized centers.

We also create different practical materials that are helping the doctors in a lot of cases; such as the preparation and administration of the parenteral antibiotics. And of course, I am in touch with our patients while distributing the pharmaceuticals here in our pharmacy.

You will learn how pharmacotherapeutic recommendations are created and how to do a medication and dosage plan according to the indications and diagnosis of the patient. You can also discover more on how to communicate with doctors and other healthcare professionals the case in two types of situations: the first when I see and check the patient regularly and the second when I will see him or her only based on a requested consultation in other departments. 

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I like sports such as skiing, squash, badminton or jogging. I love music and enjoy styles like rock, punk or ska as well.

My motto…

It is better to die laughing than to live each moment in fear.

Photo Jan Šibík

PharmDr. Veronika Krajčová

Head of the Department of Distribution of the Pharmaceuticals

Pharmacist


I started my career in the University Hospital in Motol back in 2008, and apart from the Department of the Distribution of Pharmaceuticals which I lead, I cooperate externally with the Department of Central Preparation of Cytostatics, which are all parts of the Hospital Pharmacy. I also enjoy teaching at the Medical Faculty of Charles University, especially the students at the 4th year. My profession is my hobby and whenever it is possible I like to explore how other professionals around the world approach to our job so while traveling with my husband, I always take the opportunity to get to know more about pharmacy, last time in Cuba for instance.

Why did I become a healthcare professional?

I am not sure when precisely or why, but the first thoughts about becoming a pharmacist began during my studies at Lyceum. My motivation was to help people during their treatment process. And the chemistry was a convenient and understandable tool for me to make an impact. I started to work on my goal and focused on the subjects that were important the most, despite the fact that there was no healthcare professional in our family. My parents and relatives are mainly lawyers and teachers.

We look forward to meeting you, and we will do our best to make you feel welcome! With us you can see the most out of the hospital pharmacy - its role in such a large hospital, various departments, everyday tasks and duties of the team and cooperation accross specialties with our colleagues. You will see also particular cases of patients that you cannot come across anywhere else. 

I love the personal interaction with patients, the ability to help them and also the cooperation with our colleagues. We act as partners of doctors in the treatment process, and they consult with us daily their cases. This multidisciplinary background of our work is one of the big differences between the type of hospital pharmacy - that we are - and a regular pharmacy in the street. All that combined results in better treatment and approach towards the patient.

What do I love the most about my specialty?

I enjoy to be in touch with people daily and to help our patients and colleagues. I cannot imagine working at a department where I would not be in a direct contact with the patients; I would really miss it. It makes me entirely happy to interact with them. I am glad I had the trust of my superiors who supported me to work in the leading role of our department.

My external work at the department of cytostatics fascinates me because of the technological side and although I do not have a direct contact with the patient I know all about his current situation and diagnosis and in my work there is quite a bit continuity as I prepare the pharmaceuticals at this department and then I see the patient in person while he picks up other medicine as a follow up treatment as antiemetics or nutrition support therapy. The cytostatic drugs are such an exciting part of the modern therapeutical methods, and its laboratory preparation from the technological point of view makes it a fascinating and growing field of our specialty.

What can you see by shadowing our team?

While shadowing us, you can see the distribution of pharmaceuticals to patients who suffer from unique conditions such as patients before or after organ transplants, patients with multi-drug resistant epilepsy, internal patients with multi-drug combination therapies or patients who are under the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Apart from that, we need to cover the needs and wishes of the patients in the biggest hospital in Central Europe during the days and nights. We process nearly 3.700 requests monthly, that is why you will witness step by step the tasks and responsibilities of a bustling team in one of the biggest hospital pharmacies and the whole process of admission, transport, and distribution.

You will see the individual and collective preparation of pharmaceuticals including the parenteral nutrition or cardioplegic solutions, how the sterile medicines in the laboratories are prepared as well as the preparation of the cytostatics. You will also witness in person the close cooperation of our clinical pharmacists at various departments within the hospital as it is them who help doctors and patients directly at the specialized centers to set up the right treatment based on the needs and possibilities of the patient.

Apart from ensuring that our Department runs smoothly, I am one of the pharmacists who distribute pharmaceuticals, I attend the strategy meetings of the Hospital Pharmacy or prepare clinical pharmacists' evaluations on clinical studies. Another part of my duties are also the 24 hours night shifts in the Hospital Pharmacy as we work 24/7 in the distribution of the pharmaceuticals. During these shifts, my primary role is to prepare and distribute all the medicines needed for the hospital and also to help our patients who come during the night mainly from the Emergency Department for Adults or Emergency Department for Children or because of their acute condition. For them, we get ready the antibiotics, anticoagulant drugs (usually after some injury or surgery) or any medicaments against fever and so on most typically. During the weekends it can also be patients who forget their drugs at home so they come to Emergency to gain the prescription or patients who are released for the weekend so they can go home fully equipped with everything they need. Do you want to be a part of the night shift, too?

Apart from being a healthcare professional...

I get up a bit after 4 am to train for Spartan race and kickboxing. I also love Latin-American dance, and if you do not mind to get up earlier, I can also take you with me to our training. And the biggest hobby of mine, that is my family. smile

My motto…

You will know at the finish line.

Photogallery

LOVE WHAT YOU DO WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT