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From drug safety and efficacy to controlled substance handling and Medicare or Medicaid billing, today’s hospital pharmacies must navigate a maze of pharmacy regulations. Whether it’s the DEA, the FDA, the USP, the CMS, or any other of the various regulatory bodies overseeing pharmacies, when these rules and protocols are not met, a pharmacy can […]
Navigating Pharmacy Quality and Compliance in Hospitals Read More »
In 2012, a tragic outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to the New England Compounding Center (NECC) highlighted the devastating consequences of improper sterile compounding practices. Over 100 patients died, and hundreds more were injured due to contaminated steroid injections. This incident underscores the importance of stringent adherence to sterile compounding protocols to ensure patient safety
Ensuring Patient Safety: The Critical Role of Sterile Compounding in Hospital Pharmacy Read More »
More than 20 years since the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, patient safety remains a major concern across the industry. Medical errors cost about $20 billion per year annually. And the cost is more than financial; errors can cause prolonged illness, permanent disability
Patient Safety Awareness Week: A Spotlight on the Role of the Pharmacist Read More »
In the wake of new price transparency regulations proposed by The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS), hospitals are left to figure out how to comply with regulations while ensuring their services are priced competitively without sacrificing quality of care. According to the CMS, the prospective rule proposes price transparency requirements that will increase
Three Steps to Prepare for Price Transparency Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control report an estimated 23,000 deaths annually resulting from antibiotic-resistant organisms (which infect over two million people). Stewardship programs aim to improve patient care by prescribing only necessary medication; patient safety by optimizing infection treatment; and reducing superbugs. For several years now, the Joint Commission has been rolling out antimicrobial stewardship
3 Ways for Your Hospital Pharmacy Can Get Antimicrobial Stewardship Ready Read More »
Pharmacy technician Marjorie Grant was working a normal shift in the ER pulling medication histories, when she got called to a patient’s bedside. The woman came into Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, NM, holding her head in pain, feeling nauseous and faint. A nurse indicated that the woman had her medications in her
Pharmacy Technician Uses Drug Knowledge to Help Save Patient’s Life Read More »
Recent high-profile events have once again revealed the vital role basic hospital processes and procedures play in reducing medication errors. While current discussions focus on neuromuscular blockers, all medications and their handling should be part of this conversation. It’s not enough to simply remove vecuronium from automated dispensing cabinets in all but the most essential
How “Blocking and Tackling” Can Prevent Pharmacy Medication Errors Read More »
Today it’s difficult to go more than a few days without hearing about the opioid epidemic and its devastating effects on U.S. communities. Afterall, an average of 115 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[1] Consider these statistics: From 2000 to 2009, the number of
Patient Care Teams Working Together Can Solve America’s Opioid Crisis Read More »
