Nevada Administrative Code
Chapter 449 - Medical and Other Related Facilities
HOSPITALS
Policies and Procedures for Operation of Hospital
Section 449.340 - Pharmaceutical services

1. A hospital shall have a pharmacy directed by a registered pharmacist, who may be a full-time, part-time or consulting pharmacist, or a drug room supervised by no less than a currently licensed professional nurse. If a hospital has an organized pharmaceutical service, the full-time, part-time or consulting pharmacist shall develop, supervise and coordinate all the activities of the service.

2. The pharmacy and area for drug storage must be administered in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws.

3. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the medical staff shall develop policies and procedures to minimize errors in the administration of the drugs. The medical staff may designate the organized pharmaceutical service of the hospital to develop the policies and procedures required by this subsection.

4. The pharmaceutical service of a hospital shall have an adequate number of personnel to ensure quality pharmaceutical services, including emergency services.

5. Drugs and biologicals must be controlled and distributed in a manner which is consistent with applicable state and federal laws.

6. When a pharmacist is not available, drugs and biologicals may be removed from the pharmacy or storage area only by personnel designated by the policies of the medical staff and pharmaceutical service, which must be established in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws, to remove the drug or biological.

7. Errors in administering a drug to a patient, adverse reactions by a patient to a drug and incompatibilities between a drug and patient must be immediately reported to the attending physician of the patient and, if appropriate, to the committee that oversees the quality improvement program established pursuant to NAC 449.3152.

8. Abuses and losses of controlled substances must be reported, in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws, to the person responsible for the pharmaceutical service and the chief executive officer of the hospital.

9. Information relating to drug interactions, drug therapy, side effects, toxicology, dosage indications for use and routes of administration must be made available to the professional members of the hospital staff.

10. A formulary system must be established by the medical staff to ensure the provision of quality pharmaceuticals at reasonable costs.