Development of a sterile compounding training and competency program at a large academic medical center

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (24) ◽  
pp. 2089-2100
Author(s):  
Carrie E Penzien ◽  
Jamie C Tharp ◽  
Kristina Mulzer ◽  
Craig Rurka ◽  
Chadi Abbas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Personnel Training ◽  
Regulatory Oversight ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Academic Medical

Abstract Purpose This article is one of the 5 articles describing steps taken to enhance sterile compounding compliance at a large, multisite academic medical center. This article focuses on the development of a comprehensive personnel training and assessment program for sterile compounding. Summary Increased regulatory oversight and the release of new United States Pharmacopeia chapters motivated the reenvisioning of the medical center’s sterile compounding personnel training and assessment program. The main challenges facing any entity undertaking sterile compounding include identification of compounding staff, development of policies and procedures, and baseline and ongoing training including observational competency assessments and record keeping. These challenges are exacerbated by high work volumes and variation in compounding practices encountered within a large multisite institution. Our organization developed a team of specialized pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to implement and enforce changes promoting the safe production and use of compounded sterile products and meet rising regulatory requirements. This team worked within various operational areas to customize purchased policies and procedures and group compounding staff based on training needs. The team performs ongoing personnel monitoring and training of new compounders in a shared training space. Challenges encountered and future considerations for program enhancement are described. Conclusion Implementation of standards and enforcement of staff behaviors in a large academic medical center is perhaps best completed by a team of highly trained experts working in collaboration with supervisors and using a dedicated training and testing space, as evidenced by the success of the described program in overecoming past challenges.

scholarly journals Policies and procedures governing patient portal use at an Academic Medical Center

JAMIA Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-488
Author(s):  
Bryan D Steitz ◽  
Joseph Isaac S Wong ◽  
Jared G Cobb ◽  
Brian Carlson ◽  
Gaye Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Government Regulation ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Patient Portal ◽  
Patient Portals ◽  
Identity Verification ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background and Objective Patient portal use has increased over the last two decades in response to consumer demand and government regulation. Despite growing adoption, few guidelines exist to direct successful implementation and governance. We describe the policies and procedures that have governed over a decade of continuous My Health at Vanderbilt (MHAV) patient portal use. Methods We examined MHAV usage data between May 2007 and November 2017. We classified patient portal activity into eight functional categories: Appointment, Billing, Document Access, Genetics, Health Result, Immunization, Medication, and Messaging. We describe our operating policies and measure portal uptake, patient account activity, and function use over time. Results By the end of the study period, there were 375 517 registered accounts. Policies made MHAV available to competent adults and adolescents 13 and over. Patients signed up for a limited access account online, which could be upgraded to a full-access account after identity verification. Patients could assign proxy accounts to family and caregivers, which permitted nonpatient access to select MHAV functions. Laboratory and radiology results were accessible via MHAV. Results were classified into three groups based on sensitivity, which govern the length of delay before results appeared in MHAV. Discussion and Conclusion Patient portals offer significant opportunity to engage patients in their healthcare. However, there remains a need to understand how policies can promote uptake and use. We anticipate that other institutions can apply concepts from our policies to support meaningful patient portal engagement.

Evaluation of Medication Administration Timing—Are We Meeting Our Goals?

2020 ◽  
pp. 089719002090545
Author(s):  
Craig Furnish ◽  
Samantha Wagner ◽  
Angela Dangler ◽  
Kerry Schwarz ◽  
Toby Trujillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Medication Administration ◽  
Respiratory Therapists ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Hospital Policies ◽  
Inpatient Nursing ◽  
Administration Timing ◽  
Time Critical

Background: Per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 482.23(c) regarding medication administration, hospital policies and procedures must identify time-critical scheduled medications which must be administered within 30 minutes either before or after the scheduled dosing time, for a total administration window of 1 hour. Objective: The general objective of this analysis was to determine whether there was a difference in meeting medication administration goals when comparing time-critical to non-time-critical scheduled medication administration in both intensive care units (ICUs) and general medical floors at a large, academic medical center. Methods: Data were collected in 6 inpatient nursing units (3 general medical units and 3 ICUs) during the month of June 2017. Electronic medical record charge data for medications were used to evaluate timeliness of medication administration. Results: In total, 69,794 medication administrations were evaluated. Of 389 administrations of time-critical scheduled medications, 268 (69%) were administered on time. Of 69,405 administrations of non-time-critical scheduled medications, 58,099 (84%) were administered on time ( P < 0.001). ICUs had a higher percentage of on-time administrations than general medical units (89% vs 77%, P < 0.001), and nurses had a higher percentage of on-time administrations than respiratory therapists (84% vs 63%, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Non-time-critical scheduled medications were more commonly administered on time compared with time-critical scheduled medications. Staff education and optimizations to the electronic health record (EHR) are interventions that may improve administration of time-critical scheduled medications.

Pharmacy Telehealth Services: Perspectives From an Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002110306
Author(s):  
Crystal Zhou ◽  
Rose Pavlakos ◽  
Mackenzie Clark ◽  
Vicki I. Jue ◽  
Valerie B. Clinard
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Clinical Practices ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Physical Barriers ◽  
Outpatient Settings ◽  
Faculty And Staff Development

Telehealth allows patients to receive healthcare with the aid of technology by overcoming physical barriers. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created challenges with regards to in person patient care. The use of video visits and telehealth increased in a rapid manner due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this paper is to describe telehealth services utilized by pharmacists at a large, academic medical center. Pharmacists teaching and clinical services conducted via telehealth and remote methods in the inpatient and outpatient settings are discussed. The tools and platforms utilized for patient care, staff communications, and education are described. Telehealth is likely to remain in many clinical practices even after restrictions due to COVID-19 are removed; however, as we transition, a more sustainable model that includes faculty and staff development is needed. Additionally, clinical outcomes and patient and provider satisfaction for the varying visit types should continue to be examined. Although the switch to telehealth was rapid and unprecedented, it allowed a large academic medical center to continue providing patient care and learning experiences for most clinical pharmacy services.

A compounding compliance team at an academic medical center

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (11) ◽  
pp. 882-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce W Chaffee ◽  
Jamie C Tharp ◽  
John S Clark ◽  
Stanley Kent
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
The United States ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Regulatory Bodies

Abstract Purpose Highly publicized safety issues arising from poor sterile compounding practices in facilities around the United States have garnered substantial attention in recent years. This attention has led to increased scrutiny of health systems by regulatory bodies, new regulatory requirements, and changes to existing regulations or their interpretation. Health systems are often resource constrained, and the added work resulting from this scrutiny challenges pharmacy departments in meeting regulatory requirements and United States Pharmacopeia chapter 797 standards for sterile compounding. This article describes the creation of a dedicated compounding compliance team (CCT) and the team’s responsibilities in support of pharmacy operations in achieving compliance with those standards. Summary Visits to our organization by several regulatory bodies resulted in findings that required substantial work in order to achieve compliance with sterile compounding standards. Given the number and complexity of findings and the need for timely resolution, it was felt that specialized staff were needed to understand, evaluate, and correct identified deficiencies and help the already overburdened staff and leadership comply with existing standards. A CCT was formed, and work was simultaneously initiated on ensuring proper credentialing and training of all compounding staff, development of standard operating procedures, improvements in facilities, environmental monitoring, equipment certifications, practice auditing, and documentation. Key activities of the team included strategic planning, building relationships, communicating with stakeholders, self-education, and record keeping. Key partners included environmental services, facilities, and infection prevention and control personnel and departmental staff and leaders. Conclusion The formation and collaborative work of a CCT at an academic medical center was successful in changing the culture of the organization and achieving compliance during visits from several regulatory agencies.

Gender differences in career progress and satisfaction in an academic medical center

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
JoAnn Manson ◽  
Beverly Rockhill ◽  
Margery Resnick ◽  
Eleanor Shore ◽  
Carol Nadelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Career Progress
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