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Pharmacy Regulation Resource

Pharmacy Regulation Resource is a FREE resource for pharmacy directors. It is brought to you by Hospital Pharmacy Regulation Report, the monthly newsletter that offers tips, trends, and advice to help you with your daily pharmacy challenges.

2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Pharmacy Regulation Resource

Issue 50, December 21, 2005

• Prepare for potential late-night access changes now

  By this time next year, hospitals may need to have new procedures in place for after-hours...

Issue 49, December 14, 2005

• Five survey tips to prepare for 2006

  With 2006 and the arrival of the unannounced survey process, having a firm grip on the medication...

Issue 46, November 16, 2005

• Reimbursement to cover both acquisition, overhead

  Varying slightly from the proposed rule, the final 2006 Outpatient Prospective Payment System...

Issue 45, November 9, 2005

• Infusion pump operation critical to ICU safety

  The intensive care unit (ICU) is busy enough, and nurses and physicians must care for the sickest...

Issue 44, November 2, 2005

• Hospital drug billing already problematic under OPPS

  Many hospitals already have considerable trouble charging and billing for drugs and biologicals. An...

Issue 43, October 26, 2005

• Self-administered drugs may cause trouble

  Hospital outpatient departments are in for a rude shock on the first day of the new Medicare Part D...

Issue 42, October 19, 2005

• No free pass for hospital compliance on January 1

  Don't expect any leeway from the JCAHO when it comes to compliance with the medication...

Issue 41, October 12, 2005

• Illinois system's reconciliation efforts a success

  Improving how hospitals report a patient's medication requirements across departments and units...

Issue 40, October 5, 2005

• Public hearing to address drug-safety information

  The FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research will hold a public hearing to discuss the...

Issue 39, September 28, 2005

• Two sample questions to prepare for survey

  What improvement activities have you conducted regarding high-risk or high-alert medications?

Issue 38, September 21, 2005

• FDA recalls injectable products from MD pharmacy

  Concerned about sterility, the FDA on September 16 notified hospitals and healthcare professionals...

Issue 37, September 14, 2005

• IVIG payment changes put hospitals in tough spot

  Hospitals may have to brace for an influx of patients needing intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG...

Issue 35, September 1, 2005

• Six sample tracer topics to prepare staff for survey

  Organizations that have been surveyed recently are in unanimous agreement on one point: the most...

• JCAHO makes changes to electrolytes goal

  The JCAHO will retire a National Patient Safety Goal regulating concentrated electrolytes in...

Issue 31, August 10, 2005

• JCAHO releases three new medication FAQs

  The JCAHO in early August published three new frequently asked questions (FAQs) about medication...

Issue 30, July 27, 2005

• How to make the business case for bar coding

  Just two errors resulting in court cases could cost a hospital $1.2 million.

Issue 28, July 13, 2005

• Codes to let pharmacists bill for therapy management

  Pharmacists will be able to bill third-party payers for medication therapy management services...

Issue 26, June 30, 2005

• Provide clear, accurate information on medication labels to comply with JCAHO

  A pharmacist reads 25 mg as he scans the medication label, but his eyes may be deceiving him.

Issue 24, June 15, 2005

• JCAHO to ease abbreviation call-back requirement

  The JCAHO will back off its requirement that pharmacists call prescribers to clarify an order if it...

Issue 22, June 1, 2005

• Medication use the focus of 2006 JCAHO goals

  Labeling medications and changes to concentrated electrolyte, free-flow protection, and unapproved...

Issue 21, May 25, 2005

• Have protocols in place for high-risk medications

  The JCAHO tabled a proposed 2006 National Patient Safety Goal requiring an interdisciplinary plan...

Issue 20, May 18, 2005

• Hold a scavenger hunt to prepare for survey

  One hospital conducted a presurvey scavenger hunt for expired medications. The hospital held a...

Issue 18, May 4, 2005

• Report problem labels to manufacturer, safety officials

  The recent name change of an Alzheimer's disease drug because of cases in which it was confused for...

Issue 17, April 27, 2005

• Bill would require pharmacies to report price data

  Pharmacies could have to file quarterly reports on the 50 most-prescribed medications to a...

Issue 16, April 20, 2005

• Brown bags can help with fall risk assessments

  How can we get our nurses to do a risk assessment, or even to do a medication evaluation as part of...

Issue 15, April 13, 2005

• Six things to keep in mind when contracting with a compounding pharmacy

  Thoroughly check a compounding pharmacy's safety and sterility processes before using its drugs...

Issue 14, April 6, 2005

• Pocket guides can help staff prepare for survey

  Many organizations have positive results with pocket-sized guides that contain essential...

Issue 13, March 30, 2005

• CMS proposes changes to hospital CoP

  Hospitals would see changes to Medicare regulations for securing medications and authenticating...

Issue 12, March 23, 2005

• Use a 24-hour window to reconcile medications

  Reconcile a patient's medications within 24 hours of admission. That window will buy time to obtain...

Issue 11, March 16, 2005

• Hold all illegible or invalid orders

  Holding an illegible order for clarification can help pharmacists avoid selecting the wrong dose...

Issue 10, March 10, 2005

• Educate yourself on available pharmacy CE options

  Get your continuing education sources lined up now that the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy...

Issue 9, March 2, 2005

• FDA issues public health advisory for Tysabri

  The FDA on February 28 issued a public health advisory to inform patients and healthcare providers...

Issue 8, February 23, 2005

• FDA issues public health advisory for Gabitril

  The FDA and Cephalon, Inc., notified healthcare professionals and the public on February 22 that a...

Issue 7, February 16, 2005

• Assign point person to monitor OR medication security

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and now the JCAHO require hospitals to lock...

Issue 6, February 9, 2005

• FDA, drug maker warn of look-alike problems

  Indianapolis-based drug maker Eli Lilly and Co. and the FDA notified healthcare professionals...

Issue 5, February 2, 2005

• JCAHO seeks comments on unapproved abbreviations

  The JCAHO seeks comments on proposals that came out of the National Summit on Medical Abbreviations...

Issue 4, January 26, 2005

• Avoid these two CPOE errors at your hospital

  Check out these examples from the U.S. Pharmacopeia MEDMARX medication error reporting database of...

Issue 3, January 19, 2005

• Write out abbreviations for PRN orders to comply with JCAHO requirements

  Prescribers must write out abbreviations for PRN, or as needed, orders, even if the indication for...

Issue 2, January 12, 2005

• Medicare to cover aprepitant for chemotherapy nausea

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced January 6 that it intends to cover the oral...

Issue 1, January 5, 2005

• Four helpful principles to aid CPOE acceptance

  A report released December 6, 2004, by First Consulting Group for the Massachusetts Technology...

Issue 25, June 22, 2005

• Watch look-alike, sound-alike drugs in cart drawers

  Taking precautions with look-alike and sound-alike drugs may seem simple in a centralized location...