Pharmacists in the emergency department play a crucial role in upfront decision making around medicines for patients presenting with various medical conditions.
Cristina Roman, is the Lead Pharmacist at Alfred Emergency Trauma Centre. In her 12 years working in the Emergency Department, Cristina has established pharmacy services, and filled gaps in patient care with new models of care.
One of those models of care adopted by the US and other countries, is involving pharmacists for critically unwell patients that present to the emergency department.
Through her investigations, Cristina has considered how pharmacy services can impact stroke care, sepsis and trauma outcomes.
Thrombolytic therapy is crucial in ischaemic strokes, as every minute with a blood clot in the brain increases the risk of permanent disability for the patient.
Pharmacists can play a crucial role in identifying patients appropriate for thrombolysis and assisting with the administration of high-risk medications like thrombolysis for stroke patients. This can mean faster thrombolysis to eligible patients, shaping the scope of practice for the emergency medicine pharmacist.
In addition, her studies have also shown the involvement of pharmacists in sepsis calls improves time to antibiotic administration, particularly for patients in ICU care. The evidence has shown better outcomes for the most unwell patients.
Nurses and medical staff at Alfred Hospital are now actively pulling pharmacists into scenarios, highlighting the value and benefit of their involvement in patient care.
This model of care for emergency departments involving pharmacists has gained international interest and is continuing to expand.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Cristina Roman and Lisa Bremner, Advanced Training Resident Pharmacist at Alfred Hospital Emergency Trauma Centre.
-
Practising to top scope of urology practice, advancing treatment & patient care through research
Michael is a urology nurse practitioner with a special interest in prostate cancer survivorship, and has worked in urology for the past ten years. Michael has completed the Prostate Nursing Care course at Latrobe University, Graduate Certificate of Health with a specialisation in Scheduled Medicines (USQ), and the Master of Nursing (Flinders) to become a Nurse Practitioner in 2024.
As a Urology Nurse Practitioner he divides his time between the Australian Prostate Centre and Western Urology.
-
The role of genomic screening in transforming public health
Dr Jane Tiller is a lawyer, genetic counsellor and public health researcher. She is Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics at Monash University, and a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grant holder. Jane is passionate about the use of genomics to prevent disease, and in delivering equitable access to preventive genetic information at the population level. She is co-lead of DNA Screen, a world-first study piloting the offer of preventive DNA screening to the Australian adult population. DNA Screen has tested over 10,000 young people for genetic high risk of medically actionable conditions such as cancer and heart disease, finding about 2% of participants had genetic high risk. Jane is leading efforts to secure Commonwealth Government funding to expand the DNA Screen program, with the eventual goal of the development of a public health population screening program for disease prevention based on high genetic risk.
-
A 40-Year Journey: Insights from Tasmania’s Chief Nurse & Midwife
Reflecting on her nursing journey on the Tasmanian Health website on International Nurses Day 2025, Chief Nurse and Midwife, Francine Douce, has seen plenty of change since the start of her nursing and midwifery career, 42 years ago.
