Survey of small hospitals.

The CSHP Saskatchewan Branch created the position of Small Hospital Representative on their Executive Committee. This appointed person's major function was to improve representation on the Executive Committee for hospitals outside of Saskatoon and Regina. The representative sent a survey to these hospitals to establish the status of pharmacy practice in these hospitals and how to best serve them. There were 90 of 128 (70.3%) surveys completed. Survey results were separated into hospitals which employed pharmacists and those which did not. Elements of practice reported by hospitals with a pharmacist, which showed some degree of deficiency, included drug distribution systems, medication profiles and clinical pharmacy programs. Hospitals which did not employ a pharmacist obtained their pharmacy services from either a larger hospital or a local retail pharmacist. There were 11 hospitals which had no access to a pharmacist, depending on the Director of Nursing for medication-related activities. The Small Hospital Representative of CSHP Saskatchewan Branch, in co-operation with the professional associations used this study as a starting point in attempts to improve pharmacy practice in Saskatchewan in hospitals outside of Saskatoon and Regina.