let's get to know the staff who work inside these different institutional pharmacies in institutional settings there are doctors of osteopathy do and doctors of medicine MD who examine patients diagnose illnesses and provide treatments the physician assistant PA is trained to coordinate patient care under the supervision of a doctor and is authorized to prescribe medication nursing staff play a vital role the registered nurse assists physicians in specific procedures administers medications and provides patient care nurse practitioners work independently or with physicians in patient care depending on the state the licensed practical nurse provides basic care under RN supervision and is authorized to administer medication certified nursing assistants and licensed nursing assistants assist in patient care and are not authorized to administer medication pharmacy technicians are integral members of the healthcare team assisting pharmacists in various tasks such as medication preparation Inventory management and patient education their roles may vary depending on the organizational structure of the institution institutional pharmacies can operate under different organizational structures centralized pharmacies serve multiple facilities for from a single location providing efficiency in medication distribution decentralized pharmacies on the other hand are located within specific units or departments offering more localized Services satellite pharmacies are smaller units located in different areas of a facility catering to specific patient populations outpatient pharmacies serve patients who are not admitted to the institution providing medications upon discharge or for outpatient procedures institutional pharmacies must adhere to regulatory standards set by various governing bodies these include the State Board of Pharmacy ensuring compliance with state regulations and the drug enforcement agency DEA regulating Controlled Substances accreditation bodies such as the Joint Commission TJC and the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services CMS set quality standards for healthcare organizations including institutional pharmacies compliance with these standards is crucial for maintaining highquality patient care additionally State Departments of Public Health dph oversee Public Health initiatives and enforce regulations to protect patient safety within institutional settings