Nebraska Medical Center services rural hospitals, looks to expand to Iowa and Missouri

More good news out of Nebraska, with University of Nebraska Medical Center leading the way with their telepharmacy program:

Like many small, rural hospitals, the Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul doesn’t have a staff pharmacist.
But every one of the hospital’s pharmaceutical orders is checked by a pharmacist against the patient’s medical history and other scheduled medications.
It’s the kind of perk not required by law but is a standard at larger hospitals. Now, thanks to the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s new telepharmacy program, it’s available to rural hospitals, too.
“Prior to telepharmacy, we did not have that safety net in place,” said Jennifer Galvan, the hospital’s chief nursing officer. “The doctor ordered it, and the nurse gave it.”
The telepharmacy program, in which UNMC pharmacists review and enter medication information in a computer database from their homes, is one way rural hospitals like St. Paul’s are working to bridge the gap in accessibility that has historically hampered rural health care.

They are also looking for pharmacists to work remotely from home licensed in Nebraska, and surprisingly also say, "Pharmacy licensure in Iowa and Missouri required within 120 days of employment." Very interesting. Nebraska is coming up in the telepharmacy world! See the Telepharmacy Blog's telepharmacy in Nebraska category for full coverage.