According to the ECRI Institute*, diagnostic testing and medication events are the two greatest risks to patient safety in ambulatory care centers today.  As the landscape continues to change and healthcare delivery shifts from hospitals to ambulatory facilities, we will have to develop, and enhance, systems that minimize risks and keep our patients safe.

Using the services of a consultant pharmacist can help you enhance patient safety in your ambulatory healthcare facility. The following are five ways in which a consultant pharmacist can help:

1. Medication management: There are many components to medication management and, unfortunately, this leads to many opportunities for patient risk and facility liability. It’s a fact that errors in medication management are a leading cause of malpractice claims.The best way to increase patient safety and reduce facility risks is to work with a highly qualified consultant pharmacist.  In the facilities I serve, I routinely provide comprehensive audits of their medication management systems, including reviewing over one hundred different items with a relentless focus on patient safety and regulatory compliance.While it may be tempting to take this on yourself or hire just any pharmacist to do a basic audit, this is not a good idea. So much is at stake, for your patients and for your organization: medication management is just not a good place to cut corners in an effort to save a few pennies. Not only will you protect your patients and your facility, if you work with a good consultant pharmacist, you will recoup your investment, many times over, by just avoiding one patient incident — not to mention how much you will save in liability and survey deficiencies!
2. Drug shortages: Drug shortages seem to be happening with more frequency, leading to disruptions at the care facility level.  At times, it’s just an inconvenience, but at others, it has caused changes in operations and even temporary facility closures.The reasons for shortages range from simple delays all the way to manufacturing issues that can lead to complete discontinuation of some medications.  Ambulatory facilities usually struggle to stay ahead of the game, to get answers when shortages happen, and to find alternatives to allow for uninterrupted patient care.Your consultant pharmacist should be able to prepare you for drug shortages, keep you informed of the latest trends, and help you navigate problems that occur when alternatives are necessary (for further reading on this, please see a recent post on this blog, Ten Steps to Dealing with Drug Shortages).
3. Compounding drugs: Does your facility use compounded drugs? If so, do you get them from an FDA registered 503B outsourcing facility?According to a 2019 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, about 11% of hospitals get compounded drugs from sources that are not registered with the FDA. This leads to increased risks to your patients and liability for your facility and staff.  Take steps to protect your patients and let a consultant pharmacist help you do a proper assessment of any outsourcing facility prior to ordering products.
4. Safe injection practices: This is another topic that is as broad as medication management.  Although seemingly straight-forward, implementing and following safe injection practices requires a great deal of expertise, due diligence, and enforcement.Your consultant pharmacist should be a leader in this arena and help you develop and monitor policy and procedures, as well as compliance.  An example of following safe injection practices is how vials are accessed in patient care areas. These vials become single patient use only and should be handled accordingly. If you want to use multi-dose vials for multiple patients, they must be prepared in a segregated medication preparation area and labeled properly.  Single dose vials, as the name implies, should be used for single doses only. Another example is that when developing your infection control and prevention program, it should be based on nationally recognized guidelines, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
5. Regulatory compliance: How does regulatory compliance help improve patient safety for ambulatory healthcare facilities?  Regulations and standards are almost always developed to ensure optimal care for our patients, however, they are often misunderstood and sometimes applied incorrectly.Working with a pharmacist who is fluent in certification and accreditation standards can go a long way to relieve the amount of work facilities have to take on themselves.  A great consultant pharmacist will not only perform audits to ensure compliance, they will offer guidance on developing systems to meet regulatory requirements and this ultimately leads to a positive impact on patient care.

Need an assessment? As a company, OctariusRx is relentlessly focused on patient safety.  We provide comprehensive medication management to ambulatory healthcare facilities, senior care facilities, and pharmacies: our services extend far beyond typical regulatory compliance.  If you have any questions, or would like a complimentary assessment of your facility, please contact us today.

*Who is the ECRI Institute?

The Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI Institute) is an independent, nonprofit organization improving the safety, quality, and cost effectiveness of care across all healthcare settings.  Earlier this year, they joined forces with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) to form one of the largest patient safety entities in the world.

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.