Medication competency and your consultant pharmacist are two things that should go hand-in-hand. We all know that ongoing education and assessments are required to demonstrate staff competency and safe medication management is no exception. How are you assessing your staff? Can your consultant pharmacist help?
The FDA recommends prescribers discuss naloxone when prescribing opioids or medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). In a recent Drug Safety Communication posted on July 23, 2020, the FDA made the recommendations about naloxone in an effort to reduce the risk of death from opioid overdose. Do you know what the FDA is recommending? What steps do you need to take as a prescriber?
Medications used during surgery could be putting your patients at risk and increasing your facility and practitioner liability. Are you using Sugammadex (Bridion®) or Aprepitant (Emend®)? If so, are you providing education on discharge to your female patients about the potential increased risk of pregnancy?
The race to the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID19 vaccine is on, but is the answer that easy? Probably not, but we all have high hopes for returning to the “normal” world we once knew. Although we are all hoping for a one hundred percent effective vaccine with life-long immunity, reality may be completely different.
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.
Let Freedom Ring!
Happy Fourth of July Weekend! As we celebrate the freedom of our nation, let’s not forget the incredibly brave souls and their families whose sacrifices blessed us with this priceless fortune.
From all of us at OctariusRx, Happy Independence Day!
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?
Consultant pharmacists are medication management specialists who work in a variety of settings such as ambulatory surgery centers, senior care facilities (e.g., nursing homes, assisted living facilities) and with individual patients. They provide expert advice on pharmaceutical services, patient safety, and drug therapy management. Last month we discussed how consultant pharmacists assist ambulatory surgery centers. With this post, we’ll focus on how senior care facilities can benefit from using an expert consultant pharmacist. Do you worry about hospitalizations, rehospitalizations and regulatory compliance? Here are some tips from a consultant pharmacist.
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?
