Survey of 24-hour, 7-day/week hospital pharmacy service.

Emergency after-hour pharmacy services in many hospitals have been replaced by 24-hour, 7-day/week pharmacy services. A survey questionnaire was published in Hospital Pharmacy, February 1983, to be completed by hospital pharmacies that provide a pharmacist in the hospital 24 hours a day, 7-days a week. Usable responses were received from 185 hospitals. The type of hospitals and the number of beds of these hospitals varied greatly. The differing responses concerning staffing, scheduling, hours of the post-midnight shift, arrangement of vacations and holidays, the factors used in selling the concept to administration, and the handling of compensation are presented.