Compliance with USP General Chapter <800> Hazardous Drugs – Handling in Healthcare Settings is expected by December 1, 2019. While 13 months may seem like plenty of time, many facilities are well on their way. Consider the single step of construction permit processing, which is a common necessity for USP <800> compliance—simply acquiring the proper permits can take months. Fortunately, ... read more

Q&A with Patrick Lord, PharmD, Operations Manager for Pharmacy ServicesKingman Regional Medical Center Pharmacy Purchasing & Products: What are the challenges of addressing diversion in the operating room (OR) environment? Patrick Lord, PharmD: ORs and procedural areas carry an inherently high risk for diversion due to the significant abuse potential of the medications used therein, coupled ... read more

Q&A with Christina Michalek, BSc Pharm, RPh, FASHP, Medication Safety SpecialistInstitute for Safe Medication Practices Pharmacy Purchasing & Products: What are some of the most common errors reported to ISMP this year that have led to patient harm, and how should these errors be addressed? Christina Michalek, BSc Pharm, RPh, FASHP: Each year, ISMP receives reports of errors involving ... read more

Managing a health system pharmacy in today’s complex regulatory environment can be a daunting task. Drug shortages, recalls, and unreliable medication availability are just a few of the concerns that must be addressed on a daily basis. Outsourcing compounded sterile preparations (CSPs) is a commonly utilized strategy to address product reliability issues. As reported in Pharmacy Purchasing ... read more

While compliance to USP <797> cleanroom cleaning practices is not yet universal, more facilities are adopting best practices and compliance rates are increasing. Daily cleaning is now the norm at most facilities (86%) and it is typically conducted by dedicated cleaning personnel, which allows for the development of staff competencies. Pharmacy employees are widely involved in cleanroom cleaning; ... read more