Implementation of field hospital pharmacy services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the large number of cases of severe respiratory distress placed a significant burden on US healthcare systems. In Massachusetts, predictive modeling indicated that up to 15,000 hospital beds would be required to handle the case surge (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts hospitals had a total of 11,000 licensed beds). This modeling suggested there would be a 4,000-bed shortage during the peak of hospitalizations for COVID-19, which was expected to occur within the first few weeks of April. Thus, mitigation strategies were developed to increase healthcare capacity. One of Massachusetts’ strategies entailed the development and utilization of field hospitals. On April 2, 2020, it was announced that a convention center in Worcester, MA, would be the location of the state’s first field hospital (FH). Through the collaboration of the US Army National Guard company based in Worcester and UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC), the FH was quickly established. It was determined that on-site pharmacy services would be imperative to ensure that FH patients received optimal care.