Articles Tagged With: Pharmacy
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AAP Advocates Placing Outpatient Pharmacies in Emergency Departments
The pediatrics group suggests this around-the-clock service would ensure more patients fill vital prescriptions.
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Mayo Clinic Reduces Propofol Waste to Zero
A propofol disposal initiative at Mayo Clinic reduced the number of full propofol bottles in an ICU waste bin to zero, successfully addressing drug diversion at the facility. Initially, 44.1% of propofol bottles in waste bins were full before the intervention. The effort was replicated in other units where propofol use is common — and diversion is tempting. -
Accessing Hormonal Contraception by Pharmacy Prescriptions
Access to effective contraception is critical for avoiding unintended pregnancy, which accounts for about 45% of pregnancies overall in the United States. A stopgap step to increasing access is to expand prescribing authority to pharmacists.
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Hospital Successfully Addresses Medication List Errors in ED
Many patients’ medication lists contain errors when they are admitted through the ED. South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth, MA, addressed the problem by changing its electronic health record software and more directly involving pharmacy staff. The hospital improved patient safety by recognizing more errors on the lists. -
Changes to Medication Abortion Could Result in Pharmacy Dispensing of the Drug
The easing of the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy restriction on mifepristone will make it easier for women to obtain the drug and could allow for pharmacy dispensing of the drug. Pharmacists should have a seat at the table in the conversation on dispensing prescription medication. -
Medication History Often Inaccurate on Inpatient Side
Medication histories were more accurate when obtained by pharmacy technicians, according to a recent study. Of 183 patients admitted through the ED in 2017 and 2018, medication histories were accurate just 38% of the time with the usual process (typically, a nurse reviews the medication list and updates it accordingly) and 70% of the time with pharmacy technicians.
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Incomplete Medication Lists Can Lead to Allegations of Negligence
Just 23% of older adults in the ED gave a medication list that mirrored pharmacy records, according to the results of an analysis. More than half the patients omitted antibiotics they were taking at the time of the visit. Not knowing about a medicine can lead to dangerous therapy or misdiagnosis.
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Unit Dose Cups Can Improve Patient Safety, Quality of Care
Unit dose cups sync well with barcode medication administration, which is known to improve safety. Unit-dosed liquids also lead to exact dosing. This precision eliminates much risk.
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Medication Reconciliation Improved with Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Health Record
Covenant Medical Center in Saginaw, MI, recently used artificial intelligence-driven technology to protect staff and improve the quality of care for patients in its emergency care unit, completely automating the medication reconciliation process.
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HHS proposes changes to federal privacy regulation