It’s that time of year again. Unbelievably, we are quickly approaching 2022 and it’s time to look back at of the biggest topics of 2021. Every year is full of actionable headlines to consider and challenges to overcome. Our goal is to help our clients navigate successfully though the important issues of the ever-changing healthcare landscape. Below is a summary of the top ten topics that generated the most questions and interest in 2021.
Our Christmas Wish list is succinct this year. After enduring nearly two years on the COVID-19 rollercoaster, we have become more grateful for the more modest things in life. This week we are discussing simple things facilities can ask Santa for that would make surveys easier. What’s on your list?
In this week’s post, we are discussing three things to do now to avoid deficiencies in the new year. There are always additional tasks to be completed and our work is never done, but there are items we take for granted that have a large impact on patient safety and survey success. Here are three items you should review to make sure you end the year on a good note and begin the new year strong.
Drug shortages currently stand at over 100 different medications with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noting 111 products as being unavailable.
Opioid use has decreased, but overdoses have increased: How is that possible? Over the last decade, prescriptions for opioids have gone down significantly. Despite this, the number of drug related overdoses has increased. How can we have fewer prescriptions, fewer opioids and yet more people dying from overdoses? How does this impact our patients and prescribers?
U.S Antibiotic Awareness Week kicks off tomorrow (November 18th) and runs through November 24th.
Happy Halloween Weekend from the OctariusRx team! Halloween can be a scary time of year. Last year we focused on the tricks (the top five scariest things about Halloween). This year, we are focusing on the treats (the least scary things about Halloween). Can you guess what’s on the list?
What should I do with Look-Alike-Sound-Alike medications is one of the common questions I get from facilities. Having a policy and procedure for addressing this patient safety risk is an absolute necessity. Do you know what to include in your policy and what steps you should take to help reduce the risk of these medications being used in error? In this post we will show you some examples and provide some tips on how to safely handle look-alike-sound-alike medications (confused drug names).
Happy National Pharmacy Week to all our team members and colleagues!
Medication management and infection control are the most commonly cited areas during surveys. Do you know what the most targeted areas are? How do you ensure your facility is always prepared for survey? Survey readiness requires ongoing effort and expertise. Do you have a plan? In this post we will discuss some of the most common deficiencies and ways to avoid them.
