The Pharmacy Services team at Cedars-Sinai is an integral part of caring for patients throughout the medical center. A team of almost 400 fills and dispenses medications for everything from postsurgical pain management to everyday checkups.

Read: Faces of Cedars-Sinai: Chief Pharmacy Officer Rita Shane

Every order placed by a physician is reviewed closely by a pharmacist before being filled to ensure accuracy and safety. 

"Our goal in pharmacy at Cedars-Sinai is to provide patients with safe and effective medication therapy based on underlying diseases and conditions that meets each individual patient's needs," says pharmacist Ethan Smith. 

With increased demand due to COVID-19, the pharmacy team has adapted quickly to meet the needs of some of the most critical patients. 

"We've been able to stay several steps ahead and maintain an adequate supply of medications needed to treat these [COVID-19] patients," pharmacist Ben Groves says.

Read: Healthcare Heroes: Patient Relations 

In addition to shoring up supplies, the team has worked with doctors and nurses to strategize the best ways to help patients in need. 

"We really have to put our heads together to figure out what is the most safe and effective way," says Ethan. "Then, when it clicks and you have that 'aha' moment, their eyes light up and you realize that you've all been able to accomplish something quite wonderful."

In Discoveries: On the Front Lines of COVID-19