Home infusion outdoes hospitals in QA survey
Home infusion outdoes hospitals in QA survey
Take greater care in several quality assurance areas
A study1 conducted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Center on Pharmacy Practice Management showed that in many areas home infusion agencies take more quality assurance steps than hospitals when it comes to pharmacy-prepared sterile products.
The study, which appeared in the November 1996 issue of American Journal of Health System Pharmacists, was conducted in May 1995 as a follow-up to a 1991 study.
Some of the more noteworthy areas in which home infusion agencies showed greater attention to quality assurance included:
• Use of automated filling devices.
Of the 109 home infusion agencies that responded to the survey, 76.1 % had automated filling devices. Only 41.2 % of hospitals used similar devices.
• Control and responsibility in sterile product prep.
More than half of home infusion respondents (58.7%) were responsible for the extemporaneous preparation of sterile products, while just 34.7% of their hospital counterparts held similar responsibilities.
• Written QA policies and procedures.
Home infusion agencies were across-the-board winners when it came to the use of written policies and procedures in several areas, such as IV admixture compounding, education and training, quality assurance, and labeling and record keeping in orientation and training programs.
The study’s authors noted that the survey "highlights the differences in quality assurance activities between hospital and home infusion facilities" and that "home infusion facilities indicate a higher level of quality assurance for pharmacy-prepared sterile products than in hospitals."
While no clear-cut reason for the discrepancies was evident, the authors noted that the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ more explicit standards could be the cause.
Reference
1. Santell JP, Kamalich RF. National survey of quality assurance activities for pharmacy-prepared sterile products in hospitals and home infusion facilities 1995. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 1996; 53:2,591.
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