Pharmacy Department

Historical Development of Pharmaceutical Services

In the early period after the hospital was established in 1976, the pharmacy of the Tuina Outpatient Department was relocated to the hospital headquarters on Yueyang Road, where a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy and a Western medicine pharmacy were established. No traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy was established at the Qinghai Road Outpatient Department; the dispensing work was undertaken by the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Store under the Jing'an District Medicinal Materials Company. At the beginning of 1977, the Preparation Room was established. At that time, the hospital was relatively small, and the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Western medicine pharmacy, and Preparation Room together had just over twenty staff members, under the responsibility of Wu Bin and Zhang Aiguo. As the hospital's functions gradually expanded, wards and an emergency room were opened successively, and an inpatient pharmacy and an emergency pharmacy were established accordingly. Beginning in 1978, Xu Lingling served as director of the Preparation Room. Shortly after its establishment, in order to meet clinical needs, the Preparation Room overcame poor conditions and numerous difficulties and, with a scientific and conscientious attitude, continuously explored and developed new dosage forms. It prepared "Stomach-Strengthening Tea Granules" for the newly established pilot specialty gastroenterology outpatient clinic; developed the traditional Chinese medicine "Gui Jian Yu" injection for the Department of Gynecology to treat uterine fibroids; developed "Clematis" injection for the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion to treat rheumatic diseases; and developed topical "Nitroglycerin" preparations for a research project on angina pectoris in the Department of Internal Medicine. All achieved good clinical results. In particular, as the hospital continued to add specialty outpatient clinics, after years of effort the Preparation Room developed from preparing commonly used conventional preparations into a unit capable of preparing self-made preparations in various traditional Chinese and Western medicine dosage forms.

In September 1979, the traditional Chinese medicine dispensing work at the Qinghai Road Outpatient Department was taken back from the Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Store by the hospital. The newly established traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy was placed under the responsibility of Bao Zhonghua, who subsequently became director of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy. After taking office, Bao Zhonghua led everyone in making several improvements to warehouse operations, changing the traditional method of storing medicines in kerosene boxes to storage cabinets. This greatly saved storage space and was both cleaner and easier for preservation. In 1983, the hospital's business volume rose rapidly, and the volume of traditional Chinese medicine dispensing in the outpatient department increased sharply. In order to complete the traditional Chinese medicine dispensing tasks with guaranteed quality and quantity without increasing staff, the hospital entered into its first economic contract with the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy and took the lead in piloting departmental economic accounting. While completing the tasks assigned by the hospital with guaranteed quality and quantity, a contract-based incentive system was implemented, changing the previous situation of "everyone sharing from the same communal pot," mobilizing the enthusiasm of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy staff, and achieving good results. At the end of 1984, in order to further expand its services, the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy engaged an experienced senior pharmacist from the Jing'an Medicinal Materials Company as a consultant and began trial production of traditional Chinese medicine herbal pastes during the winter season. Due to limited conditions at the time, only more than 200 batches were prepared, but this laid the foundation for carrying out winter herbal paste services in the future. In 1986, the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy and clinical traditional Chinese medicine experts formulated nine traditional Chinese medicine prescription formulas and made them into mixtures, such as "Spleen-Strengthening Mixture" and "Heart-Nourishing Mixture," which played a positive role in the treatment provided by clinical specialty outpatient clinics. In 1985, Han Jianmin became deputy director of the Western Medicine Pharmacy and the Preparation Room. In 1987, in order to coordinate the hospital-wide medication plan and strengthen management of every link in the circulation of medicines, in accordance with the requirements of the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau, the hospital established a Pharmacy Administration Committee. The director was Li Rukui, the vice president in charge of clinical operations, and the deputy directors were Bao Zhonghua, Han Jianmin, and Zhu Nansun. Its main responsibilities were to determine the hospital's scope of medication according to the National Essential Medicines List; approve varieties of new medicines for purchase; and eliminate medicines with poor efficacy or serious adverse reactions. In 1991, Yu Bofen became director of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Bao Zhonghua and Lu Yongxian became deputy directors of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Xu Lingling became deputy director of the Preparation Room, and He Xianping became deputy director of the Western Medicine Pharmacy.

Establishment and Development of the Department of Pharmacy

(I) Establishment of the Department of Pharmacy:

In 1992, in accordance with development requirements, the hospital adjusted and integrated its departmental structure. The traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Western medicine pharmacy, and Preparation Room were merged into the "Department of Pharmacy," while economic accounting remained independent for each unit. In 1992, the Preparation Room opened a "Preparations Pharmacy" at the Qinghai Road Outpatient Department. Its standardized and courteous service won recognition from patients. One staff member was successively named an advanced individual in the 1992 competition organized by the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau entitled "Civilized Medical Practice and Quality Service, Satisfaction at the Hospital," and a service star in the 1994 Xinghua Cup Top Ten Window Civilized and Standardized Service Competition. In 1993, in order to reform the cumbersome and complicated methods of decocting and taking traditional Chinese medicines, the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, under the leadership of Director Yu Bofen, carried out a reform involving single-herb granules made from traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces. By 1995, it had cooperated with pharmaceutical factories to develop more than 200 different specifications and varieties of single-herb traditional Chinese medicine granules for clinical use, achieving positive results. Later, because the cost of single-herb traditional Chinese medicine granules was relatively high, their promotion and use were ultimately affected. After Xu Lingling became deputy director of the Department of Pharmacy in 1996, she strengthened institutional development and departmental management, adjusted the subordinate units, and carried out unified personnel allocation and integration. Specifically, the department consisted of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy, Western medicine pharmacy, Preparation Room, central medicine warehouse (traditional Chinese and Western medicine warehouses), and clearly defined the responsibilities of each unit: undertaking the dispensing of traditional Chinese and Western medicines for the entire hospital; production of self-made preparations; and procurement and supply of medicines required for clinical work and research, as well as medicines required for the production of self-made preparations. Traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces were specifically placed under the management of the central medicine warehouse. To meet the needs of hospital development, the functions of the Department of Pharmacy gradually shifted from providing medication support to a new model centered on patients and providing clinical pharmaceutical services. In conjunction with actual conditions, it carried out clinical pharmacy and scientific research, emphasized safe and rational medication use, and undertook the teaching and practical training of students from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Pharmaceutical Vocational School, and other institutions. From 1996 to 2010, the department gradually developed a talent structure comprising bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree holders, including one master's supervisor. It was responsible for and participated in numerous projects at various levels, published more than 30 papers, and produced one monograph.

In 1998, the Department of Pharmacy received the title of "Reassuring Pharmacy" awarded by the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau; in 2000, it was recognized as an advanced collective by the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau; in 2001, it was recognized as an advanced civilized team in the Shanghai municipal health system and as a Shanghai Red-Flag Civilized Post; from 1997 to 2002, Xu Lingling was elected as a representative to the Eleventh Shanghai Municipal People's Congress; beginning in 2002, she was elected as a member of the Tenth Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; from 2003 to 2005, she was selected as an advanced worker in the Shanghai municipal health system; and from 2004 to 2006, she was awarded the title of Shanghai Model Worker.

Departmental Structure

Overview of the Department of Pharmacy Units (2010)

------Clinical Pharmacy Unit

------Pharmacy Teaching and Research Unit

------Outpatient Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy

------Outpatient Western Medicine and Chinese Patent Medicine Pharmacy

Department of Pharmacy ---- ------Emergency Pharmacy

------Inpatient Pharmacy

------Qinghai Road Pharmacy

------Central Medicine Warehouse

------Preparation Room

------Drug Testing Room

------Decoction Room

Personnel Structure

In 1992, when the Department of Pharmacy was established, it had more than 60 staff members in total. The highest educational qualification was a bachelor's degree; there were 6 staff members with intermediate professional titles, and only 3 staff members with associate-senior or higher professional titles. In 2006, the hospital moved to Ganhe Road. With the development of the department and the needs of teaching and research, two master's degree holders and one doctoral degree holder were recruited in 2004, 2006, and 2009, respectively, thereby raising the overall educational level. By 2010, the Department of Pharmacy had 123 staff members, including 14 with intermediate professional titles, 6 with associate-senior professional titles, and 1 with a senior professional title. Personnel with intermediate and senior professional titles respectively undertook departmental management, scientific research and teaching, clinical pharmacy, drug quality inspection, and other tasks, enabling all departmental work to proceed in an orderly manner.