What is decentralized service?

Answer 1

Pharmacy services that are located away from the main or central pharmacy. They are usually seen in a hospital setting. For example, there are some hospitals that have the big pharmacy located on one floor and then have little pharmacies located in specialty care areas like OR, Pediatrics, Oncology, Day Surgery, etc. These satellite pharmacies usually carry drugs that are only relevant for their specialty care area. For example, the OR pharmacy will mainly carry drugs that are used for anesthesia, meds to get reverse anesthesia if there is a problem, and pain meds. Oncology will mainly carry meds that are used to treat cancer, pain, and any side effects of the oncology meds. Decentralized Pharmacy Services also include the automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) like the Pyxis machines located in the med rooms on all the patient care areas (hospital floors where patients are located). These are stocked, restocked, and maintained by the main pharmacy, but it brings the medications closer to the nurses and patients that need them rather than waiting for the main pharmacy to send each and every dose of medication to each patient for the entire hospital.