What is the term for the pharmacy area that primarily provides direct services to patients on a nursing unit?

The term for the pharmacy area that primarily provides direct services to patients on a nursing unit is indeed decentralized pharmacy. Decentralized pharmacies are strategically located within or near nursing units to facilitate timely access to medications and pharmaceutical care for patients. This arrangement allows for quicker delivery of medications, promotes better communication between pharmacy staff and healthcare providers, and enhances patient care by allowing pharmacists to be more integrated into the clinical setting.

By having a pharmacy closer to the nursing units, healthcare teams can respond more promptly to the medication needs of patients, optimize drug therapy, and provide immediate consultation services. This model is designed to improve medication management and patient outcomes, which is essential in acute care settings such as hospitals.

In contrast, the other types of pharmacies mentioned serve different functions. Central pharmacy typically refers to a larger, main pharmacy that services the entire facility or organization, often managing inventory and distribution rather than direct patient care on nursing units. Satellite pharmacies also operate within a healthcare facility but often serve a specific area or department, usually focusing on a particular patient population or type of service, rather than focusing on direct, day-to-day interaction with patients like a decentralized pharmacy does. An outpatient pharmacy, on the other hand, is designed to dispense medications to patients who are not hospitalized,