Consultant Pharmacist Advice to Prepare for a World Post COVID 19

Healthcare Facilities: 5 Ways to Prepare for a World Post COVID-19

The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic we are all facing is an extraordinary situation that has greatly modified so many of the things we take for granted. There are many lessons already learned…and, of course, others still to come. One thing we know for certain is that some processes will be forever altered — and others will need to be improved.

Although it may seem overwhelming right now, it’s prudent to start thinking about things that can be modified going forward. As a consultant pharmacist, below are five key items I suggest you think about now to better prepare yourself, and your facility, for a world post COVID-19.

Policy and procedure: Have you reviewed your policies and procedures recently? As it’s never fun to read policies, this is an area from which we all shy away. We’re all aware of the requirement to review and sign off on facility policies on an annual basis and this is enforced by the certification and accreditation bodies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), The American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) and The Joint Commission (TJC).

While maintaining continued compliance with regulatory requirements is necessary, we also need to ensure we keep up with the latest guidance and best practices from national organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Consider the following questions:

  • Are there functions being performed in your organization with no formal policy?
  • Are the policies being followed?
  • Have you outgrown the policy?

Take action: policy and procedure

Take this time to review and think of any policies that you may need to develop.

Infection control/antibiotic stewardship: Antibiotic stewardship begins with education: a great place to start is the CDC’s Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship. Here, you can learn about site specific steps you can take to develop and implement a system.

Take action: antibiotic stewardship

Now is an excellent time to evaluate your current systems and to determine what areas need to be fortified.

Though your consultant pharmacist should be familiar with these elements and can help guide you on implementation and monitoring, don’t stop there. There are more resources available (your consultant pharmacist should be well positioned to lead this effort).

Take action: infection control

If you don’t already have one, now is a good time to determine which of your staff members will serve as your infection preventionist and what their role will encompass.

Drug shortages: Drug shortages have been occurring on a fairly frequent basis for many years and it’s no secret: shortages make it difficult for patients, prescribers and facilities. The current environment will exacerbate many shortages, but it also gives us pause to evaluate and develop responsive systems.

In our work as pharmacist consultants, we provide our facilities with suggestions for other ways to obtain medications as well as therapeutic alternatives. Your consultant pharmacist should be your “go to” resource for brainstorming options during drug shortages or to assist with formulary management. Although certain conditions, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, may impact production, the truth is that overbuying and hoarding of medications also impacts availability. The most impacted classes are antibiotics, anesthetics and controlled substances.

Take action: drug shortages

Evaluate if your facility is taking the necessary steps to avoid disruptions in patient care. If not, you can take action (a great way is to work with a pharmacist consultant). In a recent post, we provided ‘Ten Steps to Dealing with Drug Shortages’. To learn more read our blog post, “Ten Steps to Dealing with Drug Shortages”.

Emergency preparedness: As we’ve already learned from these uncertain times, community outbreaks (such as COVID-19) must be considered in emergency preparedness plans. Preparation mitigates risk and increases patient safety.

Take action: emergency preparedness

Do your emergency preparedness plans address community outbreaks? This is a good time to review and update those plans. The plan should be closely tied to your infection control program and based on national guidelines such as those from the CDC.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): The COVID-19 outbreak has placed a tremendous strain on the supply chain of personal protective equipment in an unprecedented way. It’s critical to now have a plan in place to ensure enough PPE is on hand to meet not only the day-to-day needs of the facility, but also the needs brought on by a public health emergency.

Take action: PPE

Do you have someone who is responsible for monitoring the supply and ordering the appropriate amount of equipment? Now is a good time to assign a responsible person and ensure processes are in place to maintain continuity of care.

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought to light some areas of weakness in our healthcare system, but it has also given us time to reflect on our processes. What’s working, what isn’t? Do we have the right people and systems in place to stay ahead of the next crisis? If you’re unsure and need help assessing, we provide a free downloadable assessment. We also offer free consultations to do an initial evaluation. Please reach out to us and we’d be happy to give you the appropriate guidance.


The Consultant Pharmacists at OctariusRx provide guidance on safe medication management, survey readiness and cost savings to ambulatory healthcare facilities/surgery centers, senior care facilities and pharmacies We also help individual patients optimize their medications to improve their quality of life and save money. Contact us for assistance.


 

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