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The Pharmacist’s News Source
pharmacypracticenews.com
POLICY
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Joint Commission exec’s cancer mishap reveals ‘a broken’ health care system. GAO calls for curbs on 340B financial incentives.
OPERATIONS & MGMT
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Q&A: JoAnn Stubbings, BS Pharm, on why it’s time to embrace specialty pharmacy.
TECHNOLOGY
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Scorecard helps boost BCMA compliance. Safety drives states to standardize IV concentrations.
CLINICAL
Volume 42 • Number 8 • August 2015
Health Care Bill Touted as a Cure, But at What Cost?
C
ongress is working together on a nonpartisan issue that could have a profound effect on the health and lives of all Americans. The House passed the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6) in July. If the Senate approves the measure and it is signed into law, proponents claim that it will bring the American health care innovation infrastructure into the 21st century, funding new cures for rare and fatal diseases. Opponents claim that it will lower the standards for new drug and device approvals, potentially enabling ineffective or harmful—and perhaps even lethal—products to come to market. Certainly, there are measures of the bill that are supported by nearly everyone, most notably, annual funding for the stagnating see HEALTH CARE BILL, page 8
$4 million boost to bottom line
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Trace elements posing trouble in TPN patients. Once established, Acinetobacter can be ‘a disaster’ to deal with in hospitals.
EDUCATIONAL REVIEW
Use of Topical Anesthetics To Support Intubation See page 56
Hitting Jackpot Via Outpatient Pharm Services
tressed out over an upcoming Joint Commission survey? Rita Shane, PharmD, FASHP, the chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, has some advice that may help to calm the jitters: • Gear up far in advance. A year or more isn’t out of the question, Dr. Shane stressed, adding that it is important to integrate readiness planning into everyday pharmacy activities. “It cannot be a last-minute thing,” she said during an Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) webinar on the Joint Commission (TJC) 2015 medication-related standards. • Look for medication safety vulnerabilities across all levels of care. Walk the surveyors’ possible medication tracer routes to identify potential risk points. • Prepare your staff. Specifically, ensure that they are well equipped to handle the spontaneous questions that surveyors might throw out. “One thing I’ve learned is that the surveyor does
Austin, Texas—Adding pharmacy services to outpatient care can have a significant effect on the bottom line, just by taking the steps that every pharmacist knows. “Don’t underestimate the impact that can be made by pharmacy,” said Debra M. Chibroski, BSPharm, PharmD, BCOP, a clinical oncology pharmacist at Benefis Sletten Cancer Institute (SCI) in Great Falls, Mont. “We were able to reduce the cost of drugs per patient significantly, while at the same time improving safety, quality of care and workflow.” Pharmacist intervention at this facility resulted in multimillion-dollar drug purchasing savings, according to a poster presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the
see I SURVIVED, page 6
see JACKPOT, T page 18
New Product Teva launches generic Axert Tablets in the United States. See page 19
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