About ASHP
- The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) is the 30,000-member national professional association comprised of pharmacists who work with doctors and other health professionals in:
- Hospitals,
- Ambulatory care clinics, and
- Long-term care and home care facilities.
- ASHP's mission is to support pharmacists in helping people use medications safely and effectively.
- Hospital and health-system pharmacists are licensed medication experts with at least five years of highly specialized pharmacy education. They often have completed doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm. D.) and post-graduate residency programs. Health-system pharmacists:
- Evaluate new medications and advise physicians and other health care professionals about the safest and most effective drug therapies for individual patients,
- Monitor every stage of medication therapy to improve drug effectiveness,
- Provide critical safety and drug quality checks to prevent harmful drug interactions or reactions and potential mistakes,
- Work under sterile conditions to create compounds that patients receive intravenously,
- Supervise the dispensing and distribution of medication, and
- Counsel patients on the appropriate use of medicines.
