CUF Infante Santo Pharmaceutical Services in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic: Difficult Days, Unconditional Dedication Os Serviços Farmacêuticos CUF Infante Santo no Combate à Pandemia COVID-19: Dias Difíceis, Dedicação Incondicional

Abstract

In December 2019, a respiratory disease caused by a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was first identified in China. It quickly took on pandemic contours, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic to COVID-19 in early March 2020. Experiencing a pandemic, or other major public health event, is unusual and tests the health system, as well as the resilience of professionals. The rapid reorganization, the flexibility of the professionals and the interdisciplinary work, allowed to coordinate efforts before the emergency and to guarantee that the resources would be used to the fullest extent. One of the fundamental roles of hospital pharmacists is to ensure the availability and timely delivery of the safest and most effective therapy. To this end, pharmacists must plan, identify and mitigate the shortage of medicines (limited suppliers of raw materials) and intervene when validating the therapy, mainly in an off-label context, avoiding medication errors, omissions of usual therapies, adverse reactions and contributing to a “precision medicine” in such an unknown scenario.