In the high-intensity atmosphere of the ER, nurses and physicians must make quick decisions often without patient's medical history. This can lead to mistakes, such as misdosing and miscalculation of the amount of drug needed. In Pasadena, however, several hospitals have brought pharmacists into the ER to cut down on these mistakes. Having a pharmacist on board can help hospitals cut down on errors and streamline the way drugs are distributed. "There is a lot of evidence in the literature to support (the idea) that with a pharmacist involved in patient care, the safety is improved and the effectiveness of the medication is also improved," Jean Pallares, director of pharmacy at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, told the Star-News. Only one to three percent of hospitals have a specialized pharmacist on hand in the ER.

For more:
- check out this Pasadena Star-News article [1]

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Overcrowding in the ER. Letters [3]