Hospital pharmacies can typically be discovered inside the premises on the hospital. Hospital pharmacies usually stock a larger selection of medicines, including much more specialized medications, than would be feasible inside the community setting. Most hospital medications are unit-dose, or possibly a single dose of medicine. Hospital pharmacists and trained pharmacy technicians compound sterile items for patients including total parenteral nutrition (TPN), as well as other medications provided intravenously. This can be a complicated method that demands adequate education of personnel, quality assurance of merchandise, and sufficient facilities. Many hospital pharmacies have decided to outsource high threat preparations and some other compounding functions to organizations who specialize in compounding. The high price of medicines and drug-related technology, combined with all the prospective impact of drugs and pharmacy services on patient-care outcomes and patient safety, make it crucial that hospital pharmacies perform in the highest level achievable.
Prescribers will usually use blank prescriptions as common letterhead. Legislation may define certain equipment as "prescription devices".[28] Such prescription devices can only be used under the supervision of authorized personnel and such authorization is usually documented using a prescription. Examples of prescription devices consist of dental cement (for affixing braces to tooth surfaces), different prostheses, gut sutures, sickle cell tests, cervical cap and ultrasound monitor.