Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class John Paul Alba | Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kyla M. Reese, a pharmacy technician, searches for patient...... read more read more
The staff at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam's pharmacy was recognized as the Navy Pharmacy Team of the Year for fiscal year 2025 during an awards ceremony at the Joint Federal Pharmacy Seminar on November 1, 2025.
The prestigious award recognizes the outstanding contributions of the team, most of whom are Sailors assigned to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guam, to operational readiness, patient care, and process improvement, solidifying their role as a cornerstone of pharmaceutical support in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility.
"The U.S. Naval Hospital Guam Pharmacy has set the gold standard for fleet support," said Cmdr. Carl Powell, director for clinical support services at USNH Guam. “Their dedication and innovative spirit have had a profound and positive impact on the thousands of service members and their families in the region".
The pharmacy team's achievements were numerous and far-reaching. They coordinated pharmaceutical requests for 24 forward-deployed naval force warships, 43 tenant commands, and two local hospitals. This monumental effort resulted in the supply of over 1,000 line items and a dramatic increase in the beneficiary customer satisfaction rating, which soared from 57% in 2024 to an impressive 94% in 2025.
In addition to their exceptional operational support, the team implemented a 24-hour pharmacist response protocol. This new procedure ensures a pharmacist is present for all cardiac arrests, rapid responses, strokes, rapid sequence intubations, and high-level trauma activations. The immediate availability of a pharmacy expert has significantly decreased the time to critical medication administration and has been instrumental in improving patient outcomes during emergencies.
The team also made significant strides in process improvement. They overhauled their sterile compounding procedures and developed a comprehensive renovation plan for the compounding suite. These changes have vastly improved medication availability, safety, and workflow efficiency, ensuring alignment with the stringent standards of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and The Joint Commission. Furthermore, the development of Total Parental Nutrition (TPN) order sets to support the Military Health System’s only Neonatal Stabilization Unit has resulted in a cost avoidance of $9.8 million in medical evacuation expenses.
The department's excellence has not gone unnoticed by hospital leadership. This year, seven members of the pharmacy staff have been recognized with quarterly and/or yearly awards for their individual contributions to the team's success.
The U.S Naval Hospital Guam Pharmacy’s recognition as the Navy Pharmacy Team of the Year is a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and, most importantly, the health and well-being of the warfighter.
| Date Taken: | 04.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2026 13:48 |
| Story ID: | 561801 |
| Location: | GU |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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