Q&A with Lee Murdaugh, BS Pharm, PhDDirector of Accreditation and Medication SafetyCardinal Health Innovative Delivery Solutions Pharmacy Purchasing & Products: What are the steps for developing policies and procedures (P&Ps) for hand hygiene and garbing? Lee Murdaugh, BS Pharm, PhD: P&Ps for hand hygiene and garbing, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), ... read more

Maximizing drug cost control opportunities is a mandate for every health-system pharmacist. As health systems expand, many have chosen to manage the formulary on a system-wide basis to take advantage of economies of scale. Centralization of formulary policy management can accelerate the benefits of cost-saving initiatives, such as therapeutic interchanges, restrictions, and enhanced contracting opportunities.1 University ... read more

Low vaccination rates increase the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases, health care expenditures, and can have a significant social and economic impact on families and employers. Disease outbreaks often can be traced to localized areas of low vaccination rates. Despite the availability of disease-preventing vaccines, preventable disease can spread within communities with groups of unvaccinated ... read more

A pharmacy build or renovation is an exciting opportunity to create a USP-compliant compounding environment that will serve the hospital’s needs for years to come. With USP <800>’s enforcement date of July 1, 2018 less than 1 year away, building a new cleanroom or renovating existing pharmacies will be a significant focus of many health systems in the coming months. The Valley ... read more

Enacted in 2013, the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) legislation (and in particular Title II, the Drug Supply Chain Security Act [DSCSA]) introduces new requirements for drug traceability with the intention of protecting consumers from exposure to counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful prescription drug products.1,2 The act outlines the steps required to build an electronic ... read more