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Continued personal development is valued in the department with Kerri O’Brien completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Adolescent Loss through NUI, Maynooth and Tanya Franciosa completing an MSc in Leadership through RCSI, Institute of Leadership. Gretchen McGuirk ran a successful domestic violence awareness raising campaign within the CWIUH throughout the year. This was especially pertinent given the well documented increase in the prevalence of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. MSWs continued to promote the importance of the Children First Act, 2015 and provided assistance to other mandated reporters within the CWIUH. The refurbishment of the MSW department reception created a more welcoming environment for women at their point of access to the MSW service. Accommodation for parents living outside of Dublin, whose babies are admitted to NICU and SCBU, remains an ongoing issue for families. MSWs along with staff in the Neonatal Units work tirelessly to facilitate support plans for families. The support from Friends of the Coombe and the InsideOut Homeshow is invaluable in this regard and the MSW department remains grateful to these charities for the support they provide to parents. The staff of the MSW department continue to be indebted to the members of Coombe Care who provide assistance to women by way of necessary practical help at the time of a baby’s birth. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of fundraising overnight and despite this, the committee members remained committed to the women who attend the CWIUH. The work of Coombe Care is much appreciated by women and staff in all areas of the CWIUH.
Pharmacy Department The staff of the pharmacy department continued to provide a comprehensive pharmacy service despite staff shortages, stock availability issues and changes in day-to-day work practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff adapted well to remote working which enabled the formation of two separate teams to prevent the forced self-isolation of the entire department in the event of a possible COVID-19 infection or exposure.
The daily review of prioritised patient drug charts on adult wards, medicines reconciliation at admission and review of drug charts for potential interactions and safety in pregnancy continued. Daily remote attendance at NICU ward rounds and review of all neonatal drug charts; including facilitation and support around prescribing of individualised and standard concentration parenteral nutrition continued. Multidisciplinary acute pain rounds and team-patient education regarding appropriate analgesia use and review of medication charts continued. Staff reviewed and updated 154 NICU drug guidelines in 2020. Staff submitted 143 medication safety event reports in 2020. This represented a 25% reduction compared with 2019. One hundred and twelve (79%) of these medication safety event reports were actioned during 2020 which was a small increase compared to the number of actioned reports in 2019. A review, of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Targeted Medication Safety Best Practices for Hospitals, was undertaken during 2020. This US-based institution developed these targets to identify, inspire, and mobilise widespread, national adoption of consensusbased Best Practices for specific medication safety issues that continue to cause fatal and harmful errors in patients. The review found that the CWIUH was by and large compliant with all applicable recommended best practices. Information on management of overdose of certain medications and appropriate antidotes was developed and added to the CWIUH prescribing app. The antimicrobial pharmacist acts as secretary and continues to be an active member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention and Control Committees and Teams in the CWIUH. The antimicrobial pharmacist is also a member of the newly established, Bug Busting committee for the NICU in the CWIUH. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported a decrease of 10% in antimicrobial consumption in the CWIUH from 2019 to 2020. Education to NCHD staff on the appropriate use of antimicrobials, prescribing guidelines and the importance of stewardship was provided via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An in-depth review of the CWIUH Antimicrobial Prescribing Guidelines for adult obstetric and gynaecology patients was conducted. This included review of the CWIUH antibiograms provided by microbiology, review of treatment monographs and a comprehensive update of safety information about antimicrobial agents in lactation. The antimicrobial pharmacist participated in
