With new COVID-19 outbreaks occurring across the country and the world, the concern for drug shortages is heightened. What drugs are impacted and how do they affect your organization? Do you have a contingency plan in place to deal with unexpected shortages? Work with your consultant pharmacist to resolve these issues quickly and efficiently so that patient safety and your day-to-day operations are not impacted.
Safe injection practices are one of the most commonly cited deficiencies by certification and accreditation agencies. But there is good news, your consultant pharmacist can help you avoid deficiencies! Here are the ten commonly cited issues and my recommendations for survey success.
Implementing, and adhering to, good infection control practices is critical to minimizing the impact of infectious diseases, including, but not limited to COVID-19. As a consultant pharmacist, I see additional opportunities for infection control practices that may not be as obvious as handwashing or PPE.
June is National Safety Month and at OctariusRx we recognize and support the National Safety Council’s efforts to build and advocate for a culture of safety.
With the recent addition of famotidine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of drug shortages, the number of unavailable drugs is now well over 100. As a consultant pharmacist, I know that drug shortages have been on the radar for many years and will likely continue to be...so, why is it any different this time around?
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.
With the White House announcing the Guidelines for Opening up America Again, Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) should be ready to go when your state provides specific guidance. Have you taken the appropriate steps to prepare?
Consultant pharmacists are medication management specialists who work in a variety of settings like ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), senior care facilities (e.g., nursing homes, assisted living facilities) and also by helping individual patients. These pharmacists provide expert advice on pharmaceutical services, patient safety, and drug therapy management.
In a three-part series, we will discuss how a consultant pharmacist can benefit each client and how you can find the right consultant pharmacist for your needs. This month, we’ll focus on how ASCs can enhance patient safety by using an expert consultant pharmacist. In the coming months, this series will also discuss how consultant pharmacists can have a dramatic impact on long-term care facilities and on individual patients’ lives.
Depending on your type of healthcare practice setting, you either have absolutely no free time, or very little to do during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. If you are one of the many healthcare professionals on the frontlines caring for those affected, your primary, and really, only focus, is to provide care and support for those who are ill, as well as yourself. Because of this shift in focus, there are some healthcare facilities and professionals who currently find themselves with extra time due to the sudden work reduction or work stoppage, including cancelation of elective surgeries. Don’t let this downtime go to waste…use it to prepare yourself, and your practice, to better serve your patients and enhance regulatory compliance. As a consultant pharmacist, I am always looking for ways to keep my facilities ahead of the curve: below are five ways to put your downtime to use and stay productive and be on the leading edge.
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) One & Only Campaign turns ten years old. The One & Only Campaign, as you may know, focuses on eliminating unsafe injection practices. In the span of a single decade, healthcare facilities across the country have come a long way in improving patient safety via safe injection practices — but: there is still much work to be done.
