Pharmacy
Steven Pass, BCPS, PharmD, FCCM
Associate Professor
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
School of Pharmacy
Dallas, Texas
As a student at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Dr. Pass became interested in a career as a clinical pharmacist. The fast pace of the intensive care unit (ICU), being at the forefront of patient care, and the ability to participate in an interdisciplinary care model were what drew him to specialize in the area of critical care. After graduation, he completed his postgraduate year one (PGY-1) residency at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and a PGY-2 critical care residency at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. While residency programs are not required, they are highly recommended and are considered prerequisites for most positions.
Critical care clinical pharmacists may practice in a variety of institutions, from large academic teaching hospitals to small community hospitals, and in a variety of ICU settings, such as medical, surgical, neurological and neurosurgical, cardiac and cardiothoracic, pediatric and neonatal, as well as emergency departments. Dr. Pass’s current practice site is the medical ICU at the North Texas VA Medical Center, which is a teaching facility for the UT-Southwestern Medical School. A typical day usually begins around 7 AM, preparing for patient care rounds that start at 8 AM. During the rounding process, the clinical pharmacist is relied upon to assist with medication decisions, so it is vital to be well prepared and to anticipate anything that may come up. In addition to patient-specific information, the pharmacist is depended upon to be the source for general drug information, and this requires keeping up with the medical literature to be able to interpret and apply the results of clinical studies and practice guidelines to day-to-day patient care activities.
