Pharmaceutical services in the United States Navy

The status of pharmaceutical services in the United States Navy is described. In support of operational forces, pharmacists serve on hospital ships and in tent-based fleet hospitals. The Navy has a long-term commitment to ensuring that its pharmacists receive postgraduate education and training; each year, pharmacists are selected for specific programs. Pharmacy technicians in the Navy have considerably more responsibility than their civilian counterparts; all complete a 23-week course, and many are board certified. Increasingly, Navy pharmacists provide pharmacokinetic services, counsel patients, serve as an information resource for providers, work in pharmacist-managed clinics, develop clinical pathways, and evaluate drug therapy. Automation and computerization are viewed as answers to challenges created by continued ''rightsizing'' of the staff and fiscal restraints. A project is under way that will consolidate historical and current patient information for improved clinical decision-making. The scope of Navy pharmacy practice is expanding dramatically.