Abstract
With regard to the hospital drug supply chain, the safest system is the individual automated drug dispensing one provided by the pharmacy. For several years we have been trying to convince hospital decision-makers to set it up. In the meantime, to mitigate the risks of medication errors incurred by patients and caregivers, we have set up several work teams within the care units. These teams, made up of one pharmacist and one or two hospital pharmacy technicians, who notably manage the medicine cabinets in care units. The close collaboration with doctors and nurses developed over the years was a determining factor when it became necessary to provide the newly created additional intensive care units with drugs and medical devices (MDs) in order to cope with the crisis triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Daily monitoring of the drugs consumed by each patient, particularly neuromuscular blocking agents and MDs was a key element in managing stocks and anticipating changes of drugs, packaging and/or devices references. These facts give weight to the Claris report published in France which recognizes that the interactions of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists in the care units have positive effects in terms of quality and safety of patient care. They highlight the dangers to which patients and caregivers are exposed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays when the pharmacy is closed. They legitimize the question of extending the opening of the pharmacy with a full team 365 days a year.