Pharmacy Services of Elche and Alicante Hospitals Recognised for Excellence at the 'X Health Gala'

Pharmacy Services at the General University Hospitals of Elche and Doctor Balmis in Alicante have been awarded for healthcare excellence at the 'X Health Gala' held in Elche, an event aimed at promoting professional quality and raising public awareness of the services provided by various healthcare professions.

The Pharmacy Service of the Elche hospital, alongside the same service at Doctor Balmis Hospital in Alicante, has been recognised for preparing ophthalmological solutions. Their primary goal is to ensure the rational use of medication within the department, supporting all its healthcare tasks through a process-organised system.

In the past year, the Pharmacy Service at the Elche centre has produced over 44,000 units of intravenous solutions and sterile and non-sterile magistral formulas. Meanwhile, Doctor Balmis has prepared over 99,000 such formulations.

Among these preparations, 10,893 units in Elche and 11,226 in Alicante are ophthalmological solutions with 34 different types of formulas, which the award recognises.

Dr Ana Murcia, head of the Pharmacy Service, explained that "in our service, we prepare all the necessary ophthalmological formulations to meet the treatment needs of various ocular pathologies of our department's patients. These formulations are designed for different ocular administration routes such as topical, periocular, and intraocular, in the form of eye drops, ointments, and injections. Specifically, we have prepared over 6,400 eye drops and 4,400 units for intraocular administration."

"For the preparation of these ophthalmic formulations," continued the specialist, "rigorous quality standards are applied to ensure optimal conditions of sterility, purity, and stability. Additionally, individualised preparations are developed, tailored to the specific needs of each patient and their pathology."

"The Pharmacy Service staff are highly qualified and specially trained, ensuring safe handling of medications, following standardised work protocols that minimise contamination risk and ensure precise dosing," concluded Dr Ana Murcia.

Meanwhile, the head of the Pharmacy Service at Doctor Balmis Hospital, Dr Amparo Talens, noted that this recognition "highlights the work we do in hospital pharmacy services in preparing individualised medications, both sterile and non-sterile, ensuring maximum quality, safety, and traceability. It is an award that acknowledges the joint effort of hospital pharmacy, which contributes decisively to healthcare through personalised treatments and optimised medication use."

In recent years, there has been a notable increase in ophthalmic formulations, which require high specialisation and rigorous control of sterility conditions. "At Doctor Balmis Hospital, more than 12,000 ophthalmic preparations have been made, all designed to meet the specific needs of each patient and pathology when commercial alternatives are not available," indicated Dr Talens.

This growth reflects the trust of clinical services in the preparations of the Pharmacy Services and the consolidation of the role of hospital pharmacy as a guarantor of quality, safety, and therapeutic innovation.

"All this is possible thanks to the high qualification of the pharmaceutical and technical staff, who work with standardised protocols and under accredited quality standards, applying procedures that ensure the sterility, purity, and stability of the preparations. Therefore, this award symbolises the joint commitment of hospital pharmacy to excellence and personalised patient care, recognising the dedication of all professionals who, with rigour and vocation, contribute daily to improving safety and health outcomes," emphasised the head of Pharmacy at Doctor Balmis Hospital.

In this regard, both services received last year's ISO 9001 quality recertification, which certifies that they have a standardised quality system where all developed processes are perfectly described and documented, and also establishes a series of indicators that allow periodic measurement of the activity of these processes, ensuring continuous improvement.

Dr Andrés Navarro, head of the Pharmacy Service until his appointment as manager of the health department at the General University Hospital of Elche, was responsible for presenting the award and stated that "receiving this recognition is a source of pride because it highlights the commitment and will of all the workers who are part of the human team of the Pharmacy Service in the quality of processes and healthcare safety."

In the same vein, the manager of the Alicante-Hospital General Health Department, Francisco Soriano, "appreciates the work of this team of professionals who make up this central hospital service and, therefore, essential for the excellence of the care we offer our patients."

Additionally, he congratulated Dr María Isabel Moya, a radiologist at the hospital who received the 'Special Award' at the Gala; Esther Ortega, an occupational therapist at the Lo Morant Mental Health Day Hospital, who won the 'Professional Career and Collegial Involvement Award', as well as the Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), which was also honoured with the 'Multidisciplinary Healthcare Collective Award'.