The health watchdog has urged management at Ennis General Hospital to progress with plans to address deficiencies in its clinical pharmacy resources.
In a report published by HIQA, the county hospital was largely praised for its medication safety, with several recommendations made to ensure continued good practice at the facility.
Ennis General Hospital was subject to an announced inspection from HIQA on December 5th last, which specifically looked at medication safety in the facility.
Inspectors found evidence of effective governance and collaboration between Ennis General and the UL Hospitals Group Drugs and Therapeutics Committee in this regard.
It was also noted that the hospital has its own Medication Safety Committee and is represented on the regional Drugs and Therapeutics Committee – but that the hospital representative was not always in attendance at these committee meetings.
On the day of the inspection, it was found that pharmacy resources were limited and that there were challenges for the hospital to provide alternative arrangements.
Management has been encouraged to progress its plan to address deficiencies in clinical pharmacy resources at the hospital, while also putting contingency plans in place in the meantime to ensure that the services are safe and effective.
