What must a hospital pharmacist do to ensure a drug brought from home can be used?

To ensure a drug brought from home can be used, it is essential for a hospital pharmacist to identify it and ensure it’s labeled. This process involves verifying the medication's identity by checking its active ingredients, dosage form, strength, and manufacturer. Accurate identification is critical for patient safety, as the pharmacist must ensure that the medication is appropriate for the patient’s treatment plan and that there are no contraindications or potential drug interactions with other medications being administered in the hospital. Proper labeling is also necessary to provide clear information regarding the medication’s use, dosage, and potential side effects, crucial for maintaining patient safety and ensuring proper administration by healthcare providers.

While confirming original packaging, verifying with the patient’s family, and storing medications separately can be relevant, they do not address the primary concern of accurate identification and proper labeling, which are vital steps in the medication verification process.