Category: CompleteRx
Moments in Pharmacy: Compassion, can-do attitude expands vaccination program for veterans
The Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke, MA, keeps a limited formulary for vaccines. For this non-Medicare facility, this meant that either the pharmacy was not reimbursed for administering vaccines or the veteran had to absorb the cost of taking a taxi to a nearby pharmacy and paying out of pocket. Jerry Munic, RPh, MBA, director of […]
Detailed Pharmacy Benchmarks Help Improve Patient Care and Profitability
Efficient operation of a hospital’s pharmacy department can contribute significantly to improved patient care and a hospital’s overall profitability. But, are you using the right benchmarks to judge your pharmacy’s performance? Pharmacy financial performance is often assessed year-over-year, which is a good place to start. Much can be learned by tracking and judging total existing […]
Ways to improve hospital staff work life, reduce burnout & improve patient care
Most healthcare leaders have heard about the Triple Aim by now. It’s the concept introduced by Harvard professor Don Berwick a decade ago that the three ways to optimize health system performance should be built around enhancing patient experience, improving public health and reducing costs. It’s an idea that took hold and has shaped healthcare […]
Preventing medication errors: A return to basic blocking and tackling
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 […]
Case study: Moving one pharmacist from order-taker to strategic player in hospital management
One pharmacist can make a difference. All the proof you need exists at the 100-bed hospital Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center (GCRMC) in Alamogordo, New Mexico. That’s where clinical staff pharmacist Megan Harrington, PharmD, has spent a year building her department’s reputation as a necessary, strategic partner in her hospital’s operations. Today’s GCRMC’s pharmacy team […]
Rising drug costs eating into hospital staffing budgets
Between 2015 and 2017, 25% of all U.S. hospitals cut staff to cope with budget shortfalls caused by rapidly rising drug costs, reports a recent study. Hospital drug spending increased 18.5% during those two years. The study, prepared by the research group NORC at the University of Chicago, was commissioned by the American Hospital Association, […]
2019: Top five hospital pharmacy trends
Since CompleteRx manages hospital pharmacies, large and small, across the U.S., it stands in a unique position to understand and cope with the industry’s most compelling trends. Recently, Rick Burnett, our chief operating officer, outlined his thoughts on the top trends likely to impact hospital pharmacies in 2019. #1 – Specialty pharmaceuticals will continue to […]
8 Common Misconceptions of Partnering with Outside Firms for Pharmacy Services
When it comes to using a service provider to manage your hospital pharmacy, there are many positive outcomes and advantages related to operational efficiencies, financial stability and patient care. Unfortunately, there are also some long held misconceptions. Let’s take a closer look at the most common misconceptions and get a better understanding of the benefits […]
Moments in Pharmacy – Elizabeth Lam
As part of our Moments in Pharmacy blog series, we are proud to feature Elizabeth Lam, Pharm.D., a Transitional Leader with CompleteRx. Q. What does being a pharmacist mean to you? I want to provide the best possible patient care at all times. It’s also important to set a good example to my colleagues so […]
Moments in Pharmacy – Danielle Crowley
The theme for this year’s ASHP Mid-Year Conference is “Some Mid-Year Magic.” To celebrate the contributions and magic that our talented pharmacists and technicians bring to their patients, we created a new series called Moments in Pharmacy. Today, we feature Danielle Crowley, PharmD, RPh, and Clinical Operations Pharmacist at Hogan Regional Center in Danvers MA. […]