As we approach 2021, I take a few moments to look back at some of the biggest stories impacting us this year. Each year is unique and has its own challenges. When it comes to challenges, we all realize 2020 is unprecedented and will stand out in our memories…often for the wrong reasons. As a consultant pharmacist, I get asked for advice daily. In this post, I discuss some of the topics that generated the most questions and drew the most attention from our clients. This is a small sample of topics we helped our partners with this year.
Category: Advice
COVID 19 is impacting the drug supply chain and leading to dangerous shortages
COVID 19 is impacting the drug supply chain and leading to dangerous shortages. By now, if you haven’t been impacted by drug shortages, you have at least heard about them. As the pandemic continues, the drugs impacted have changed and the shortages have become more critical. Do you use midazolam, fentanyl, propofol or antibiotics? You will need to have a plan in place to avoid negatively impacting patient care.
Are Expired Medications Still Good?
Are Expired Medications Still Good? As a consultant pharmacist, I get asked this question almost daily. Whether it’s from a patient at home, someone at a nursing facility or an ambulatory surgery center, we all encounter expired medications. Can you still use them? Should you replace them? How should you handle expired medications?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all our team members, clients, vendors, and their families.
Thanksgiving is about friends, family and giving thanks. From our OctariusRx family to yours, thank you!
We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all there is to be thankful for.
“I am grateful for what I am and have. My Thanksgiving is perpetual.” Henry David Thoreau
Be Antibiotic Aware: U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week
Be Antibiotic Aware and join the CDC’s educational effort to help improve antibiotic prescribing and use in the United States. The U.S Antibiotic Awareness Week kicks off today and runs through November 24th.
How to Cut Costs with Benchmarking: Tips from a Consultant Pharmacist
How to cut cost with benchmarking is not a question we normally hear. We know facilities need to obtain and monitor both internal and external benchmarking as a requirement of accrediting organizations such as the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). We also know finding cost effective medications is a priority that can have a big impact on profitability. Is it possible to use benchmarking to save money? Yes! And here is how.
Happy Veterans Day!
Happy Veterans Day to all who have served our country!
On this special day, let us pause and salute all the men and women who through tremendous sacrifice have served our great nation.
At OctariusRx, we give thanks every day, but especially today because we realize freedom isn’t free!
We owe our veterans and their families so much gratitude for all they have done and sacrificed for our country. We are the home of the free because of the brave.
With respect, honor, and gratitude, today and every day, Thank You Veterans!
Happy Halloween Weekend!
Happy Halloween Weekend from the OctariusRx team! Halloween can be a scary time of year. This year we celebrate this holiday weekend with our list of “Top Five Scariest Things” and our suggestions for dealing with them. Can you guess what’s on the list?
Are you ready for Electronic Prescribing requirements?
Are you ready for electronic prescribing requirements? They come into effect soon so make sure you are prepared. Beginning January 1, 2021, all prescriptions for controlled substances and medical devices in Massachusetts must be issued electronically unless covered by an exception.
Happy Columbus Day!
Happy Columbus Day from our team at OctariusRx. Whether you’re celebrating the sailor or the indigenous people who already lived in the “new world”, we think it’s a great opportunity to honor the spirit of exploration.
“In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.”
― Ansel Adams