For Hampton pharmacist, Veterans are priority

When Hampton VA announced an extended renovation project impacting the local pharmacy, immediate concern spread among the staff. The pharmacy would be out of commission, leaving the question: How would Veterans with cancer continue care without interruption?

The answer? A modest trailer parked behind the medical center, a Mobile Compounding Pharmacy (MCP), provided by VA’s Office of Emergency Management. But the heart and soul of this operation wasn’t just the MCP alone. It was the expertise of Dr. Vicki M. Neace, pharmacy program manager for sterile compounding leading the charge.  

For Neace, ensuring Veterans could continue their treatments without disruption was a non-negotiable priority.

“I won’t allow room for error or delay.”

“For patients with cancer, timing is everything. Every dose of chemotherapy, every infusion, must be delicately prepared and delivered on schedule. When it comes to serving the Veterans, I won’t allow room for error or delay,” said Neace, a 20-year VA health care professional. “I worked part-time for the community pharmacist during summers and saw his interaction with people and how his patients depended on his expertise. His advice and actions shaped my future.”

Neace started as an intermittent pharmacist. She ultimately became the pharmacy program manager for sterile compounding.

While the pharmacy’s renovation continues, Neace and her staff transport supplies from the medical center to the MCP and remain inside until compounding is completed for the day. She said Veterans generally receive same-day labs and appointments before their chemotherapy, which requires treatments to be compounded in real-time.

Occasionally, patients’ treatments are canceled on the same day due to variable factors, such as treatment side effects or lab results.

Before the MCP was onsite, Neace would arrive before sunrise to secure her pharmacy supplies and drive for almost two hours during which she performed the compounding offsite.

“A strong partnership is necessary.”

Neace described a situation when she had a late request for an unplanned add-on treatment. Access to a special safety cabinet was required to safely compound the requested treatment. Because the pharmacy team had access to the MCP, which is equipped with the appropriate safety cabinets, the Veteran was able to start his chemo without any delay in therapy.

“I’m not sure if a one-day delay would’ve mattered, but it mattered to him. If we continued compounding offsite and delivering to the main facility, the Veteran would not have started his treatment on time,” Neace explained.

Hospital director Walt Dannenberg reflected on the beneficial partnership between his staff and OEM. “Emergencies happen, whether it’s renovations, natural disasters or supply chain interruptions. Mobile units like the MCP demonstrate an innovative way to maintain continuity of care in even the most challenging everyday circumstances. A strong partnership is necessary, and I am so proud of the OEM group, the oncology team, our engineers and our electricians. They worked tirelessly to ensure that we could continue to deliver world-class care for our Veterans.”

For Neace and the pharmacy team, using the MCP has resulted in more than 370 Veteran engagements and 570 compounded preparations.

“Every Veteran we treat reminds me why I chose this path. It’s about honoring their service with the best care we can provide, wherever that might be, even if it’s in a trailer,” she said.