HEALTH-SYSTEM RX | DEPARTMENTS
INTERDISCIPLINARY SAFETY FOR HAZARDOUS DRUGS URGED Hospital leaders are advised to adopt an interdis- ciplinary approach to ensure the safe handling of hazardous drugs like antineoplastic agents. At the 2024 Compounding Pharmacy Compliance meet- ing, Dr. Kathleen Kane emphasized the importance of understanding USP General Chapter <800> and NIOSH guidelines. Dr. Kane suggests creating comprehensive lists of required and recommended practices, such as maintaining accurate hazardous drug inventories and implementing spill control procedures. An interdisciplinary committee at UChicago Medicine was formed to enhance hazardous drug safety by conducting gap analyses and advocating for necessary resources. The committee's initiatives include providing proper personal protective equip- ment and using closed system drug-transfer devices. Continuous risk assessments for new drugs are essential, considering factors like drug type, dosage form, and packaging. Involving frontline staff, such as pharmacists and nurses, in developing safety practices ensures TECHNICIANS STREAMLINE PRIOR AUTH APPROVALS Cone Health, a large health system in North Carolina, faced significant delays in obtaining prior authorizations for medications due to a lack of stan- dardized processes. This often led to up to four-week delays and increased medication errors. To address this, Cone Health established a centralized med- ication access team led by a pharmacy technician coordinator. This team, sourced from Cone Health's community and specialty pharmacies, streamlined the prior authorization process. The centralized team demonstrated impressive improvements: the average turnaround time for prior authorizations dropped to 1.4 days from the previous 15 to 30 days. Additionally, 71% of prior authorizations were completed on the same day
of submission, with an average processing time of under 30 minutes. This initiative also enhanced cus- tomer service and encouraged patients to continue using Cone Health’s internal pharmacy services. The success of this program underscores the capa- bility of pharmacy technicians to handle prior authorizations, freeing up pharmacists, nurses, and other personnel for direct patient care. However, retaining skilled pharmacy technicians remains challenging. While increased pay is one strategy, it is crucial to address workplace culture, stagnation, and burnout, which are significant factors influenc - ing technicians' job satisfaction and retention. To learn more: https://www.pharmacyprac- ticenews.com/Online-First/Article/06-24/ Centralized-Pharmacy-Technicians-Streamline- Prior-Authorizations/74028
COMMUNICATION FAILURES CAUSE MEDICATION ISSUES A study conducted by pharmacy researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) found that missing information is the leading cause of miscommunication-related medication events. The study analyzed medication events reported between July and December 2022. Out of 95 ana - lyzed events, 61% occurred in the outpatient setting, 35% in inpatient settings, and 4% in retail pharma- cies. Most errors happened during the prescribing and ordering stages (61%), followed by administra- tion (21%) and dispensing (9%). The primary type of miscommunication was the omission of information, accounting for 50% of cases, followed by incorrect information at 17%. practical and acceptable implementations. For instance, decisions about protective gear might bal- ance staff safety with patient comfort, such as not wearing full hazmat suits during certain procedures to avoid alarming patients. USP <800> aims to protect healthcare workers, much like USP Chapters <795> and <797> focus on patient safety. The collaborative efforts of various hospital depart - ments, including supply chain and environmental control, are crucial to managing hazardous drug safety effectively.
To learn more https://www.pharmacyprac- ticenews.com/Online-First/Article/06-24/ Hazardous-Drug-Safety-All-Hands-on-Deck/74104
Providers were the most common source of these errors (53%), with pharmacists and nurses contrib- uting 16% and 9% respectively. Positive interven- tions, mainly initiated by nurses (58%), were present in 53% of the cases, often preventing these errors from reaching patients. The study highlights the need for further research to understand why information omissions occur and how technology and workflow improvements can mitigate these issues. Effective communication and comprehensive information sharing are critical to reducing medication errors and improving patient safety. To learn more https://www.pharmacypractice- news.com/Online-First/Article/06-24/Missing- Information-Causes-Most-Miscommunication- Related-Medication-Events/74069
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