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.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the OctariusRx team has gone pink. We are spreading the word and supporting the cause by promoting the annual campaign to increase awareness of this disease.
A new drug shortage for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is something we hear about all too frequently. Today we discuss the shortage of fat emulsion, a necessary reversal agent and the impact it can have both on patient safety and regulatory compliance.
It’s Fall Prevention Awareness Week and the OctariusRx team is recognizing and helping to spread the word from the National Council on Aging (NCOA). COVID-19 has changed a lot of things, but one has stayed the same: Falling is NOT a normal part of aging. Join us this week (Sept. 21-25) in a nationwide effort to prevent falls among older adults.
Going back to school for patient safety is something we should routinely do. It should come as no surprise that the biggest threats to patient safety are also the items we take for granted. As the kids head back to school to take on new challenges, we should challenge ourselves to renew our focus on enhancing patient safety.
Should I get the flu vaccine and the COVID vaccine/booster? As flu season approaches and the discussion heats up about COVID-19 booster shots, many are asking whether they should get one, the other, or both. Hopefully by now you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but regardless, in the coming weeks to months, you will have the opportunity to protect yourself against the flu. Should you get either vaccine? Can you take both at the same time?
Drug diversions are not only a regulatory issue, they can also lead to patient safety issues. Most diversions happen with controlled substances, but did you know there are risks and liabilities beyond your narcotic box? Proper medication management is critical from both a regulatory and clinical standpoint. Do you know what steps to take to maintain regulatory compliance and to keep your staff and patients safe?
The 2021 version of the OctariusRx medication safety quiz is about to be released. Ongoing education and assessment of staff medication management competency are standards of good practice. Medication competency and your consultant pharmacist are two things that should go hand-in-hand. How are you assessing your staff? Use our tool to help enhance patient safety and at the same time, satisfy the regulatory requirement.
Documenting patient allergies is not only an expectation of surveyors, it’s a critical patient safety function. How does your facility document patient allergies? Are you asking the right questions? Are they documented in a prominent and consistently defined location? Are you providing appropriate clarification of all noted allergies? This is a task we often take for granted, but doing it incorrectly could result in survey deficiencies, or worse…patient harm.
What are the most commonly used insulins? There are quite a few more insulins available today than there were just a few years ago. For patients, this means more options and more flexibility, but it also increases the risk of confusion and potential errors. How does your facility perform medication reconciliation? Would you recognize the newer insulin products? Do you know how long each one lasts? The answers to these questions will help you better manage blood sugar perioperatively.
