UHN pharmacy team supports patients from hospital to home

(L to R): The team at Bickle Centre, which included Adib Jalal, Maria Delibaltov, Rebecca Han​, Lynda Mao, Veroneike Buntin, and Juan Guijaro, helped Rayvonte (centre) manage his medications while in rehab at Bickle Centre and attending school. (Photo: Courtesy of the UHN pharmacy team)

UHN's pharmacy team, which includes pharmacists, technicians and support members, works closely to manage patients' medications from their time in hospital to their discharge home.

A great example is when the team recently helped Rayvonte Ball, a young patient undergoing rehabilitation at Toronto Rehab's Bickle Centre, manage his medications while attending school.

Suzett Ball, Rayvonte's mother, felt strongly about supporting his classroom experience as part of his journey at Toronto Rehab and the pharmacy team wanted to help make the process as smooth as possible.

The pharmacist starts by confirming Rayvonte's schedule for the upcoming week with nurses and reviews the medications required while he is at school. His schedule and medication orders are given to the technicians who prepare a five-day blister package of medications arranged according to the time they should be taken during the day.

A Toronto Rehab nurse and school nurse double-check and document Rayvonte's medications before and after each school day. Upon returning to Bickle Centre, the medications are safely stored in a locked medication room until the next day, and the pharmacy technicians are notified if any medications require a refill.

"This is a truly coordinated team effort that demonstrates how the team at Bickle Centre is embracing the principles in Caring Safely," says Bonita Rubin, Pharmacy Operations Leader at TR.

"Together multiple disciplines spanning two rehab facilities have collaborated to establish a process to enable Rayvonte to attend school daily and ensure his necessary controlled medications are prepared, documented and administered safely during a daily school pass."

To mark Pharmacy Awareness Month, UHN has a host of activities taking place across the organization from March 26-29.

Sessions will highlight the work of the pharmacy team in opioid stewardship to minimize long-term side effects of high dose opioids, as well as how the team is helping to address drug coverage challenges faced by patients.

Stop by daily in the main lobby at Toronto General Hospital (TG), Toronto Rehab-University Centre (TR-UC), and Toronto Western Hospital (TW) to meet UHN's pharmacy team and get a chance to win prizes and giveaways.

Schedule of events:​​