Innovative Roles for Pharmacy Technicians: Developing and Implementing a Unit-Based Clinical Support Pharmacy Technician Model

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 920-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M. Mark ◽  
Rafael Saenz ◽  
Bryan E. Yourich ◽  
Robert J. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Staff Satisfaction ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Clinical Support ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Job Growth ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Pharmacy Leaders

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Michael Sanborn and Robert Weber and is designed for guiding pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Another specific goal of this column is addressing many of the key challenges that pharmacy directors currently face while providing information that will foster growth in pharmacy leadership and patient safety. Developing innovative roles for pharmacy technicians promotes job growth, as well as staff satisfaction and retention. This Director's Forum article describes how patient-centered roles for technicians can be developed and implemented.

Get Smart: Effective Use of Smart Pump Technology

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Sanborn ◽  
Tammy Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Pharmacy Technology ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Pharmacy Leaders ◽  
Effective Integration ◽  
Smart Pump

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Michael Sanborn and Robert Weber and is designed for guiding pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Another specific goal of this column is addressing many of the key challenges that pharmacy directors currently face, while also providing information that will foster growth in pharmacy leadership and patient safety. Previous Director's Forum articles have discussed various aspects of pharmacy technology implementation and utilization. This feature focuses on the effective integration of smart pump technology to maximize patient safety benefits.

A Pharmacy Director's Primer on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 813-818
Author(s):  
Lindsey R. Kelley ◽  
Shelby L. Corman ◽  
Robert J. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Hospital Pharmacy ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Leadership Challenges ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Pharmacy Management ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pharmacy Leaders

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Michael Sanborn and Robert Weber and is designed for guiding pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Another specific goal of this column is addressing many of the key challenges that pharmacy directors currently face, while also providing information that will foster growth in pharmacy leadership and patient safety. Previous articles in this series have discussed the many different aspects of pharmacy management and leadership challenges. This feature addresses the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Stimulus Program) on hospital pharmacy practices.

Establishing a Plan for Central Pharmacy Automation

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Glowa ◽  
Robert J. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Pharmacy Technology ◽  
Specific Goal ◽  
Pharmacy Leaders

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Michael Sanborn and Robert Weber and is designed for guiding pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Another specific goal of this column is addressing many of the key challenges that pharmacy directors currently face, while also providing information that will foster growth in pharmacy leadership and patient safety. Previous Director's Forum articles have discussed various aspects of pharmacy technology implementation and utilization. This feature reviews the steps and strategies for implementing and evaluating automation in a central pharmacy area supporting a decentralized pharmaceutical model.

scholarly journals Chemotherapy Order Entry by a Clinical Support Pharmacy Technician in an Outpatient Medical Day Unit

2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Neville ◽  
Larry Broadfield ◽  
Claudia Harding ◽  
Shelley Heukshorst ◽  
Jennifer Sweetapple ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Medication Errors ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Order Entry ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Clinical Support ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Pharmacy technicians are expanding their scope of practice, often in partnership with pharmacists. In oncology, such a shift in responsibilities may lead to workflow efficiencies, but may also cause concerns about patient risk and medication errors.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The primary objective was to compare the time spent on order entry and order-entry checking before and after training of a clinical support pharmacy technician (CSPT) to perform chemotherapy order entry. The secondary objectives were to document workflow interruptions and to assess medication errors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This before-and-after observational study investigated chemotherapy order entry for ambulatory oncology patients. Order entry was performed by pharmacists before the process change (phase 1) and by 1 CSPT after the change (phase 2); order-entry checking was performed by a pharmacist during both phases. The tasks were timed by an independent observer using a personal digital assistant. A convenience sample of 125 orders was targeted for each phase. Data were exported to Microsoft Excel software, and timing differences for each task were tested with an unpaired <em>t </em>test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Totals of 143 and 128 individual orders were timed for order entry during phase 1 (pharmacist) and phase 2 (CSPT), respectively. The mean total time to perform order entry was greater during phase 1 (1:37 min versus 1:20 min; <em>p </em>= 0.044). Totals of 144 and 122 individual orders were timed for order-entry checking (by a pharmacist) in phases 1 and 2, respectively, and there was no difference in mean total time for order-entry checking (1:21 min versus 1:20 min; <em>p </em>= 0.69). There were 33 interruptions not related to order entry (totalling 39:38 min) during phase 1 and 25 interruptions (totalling 30:08 min) during phase 2. Three errors were observed during order entry in phase 1 and one error during order-entry checking in phase 2; the errors were rated as having no effect on patient care.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Chemotherapy order entry by a trained CSPT appeared to be just as safe and efficient as order entry by a pharmacist. Changes in pharmacy technicians’ scope of practice could increase the amount of time available for pharmacists to provide direct patient care in the oncology setting.</p><p><strong>RÉSUMÉ</strong></p><p><strong>Contexte : </strong>Les techniciens en pharmacie élargissent leur champ de pratique, souvent en partenariat avec les pharmaciens. En oncologie, un tel changement dans les responsabilités pourrait conduire à une optimisation de l’organisation du travail, mais il peut aussi soulever des inquiétudes au sujet des risques pour le patient et des erreurs de médicaments.</p><p><strong>Objectifs : </strong>L’objectif principal était de comparer le temps passé à la saisie d’ordonnances et à la vérification de cette saisie avant et après avoir formé un technicien en pharmacie dédié au soutien clinique (TPDSC) à la saisie d’ordonnances de chimiothérapie. Les objectifs secondaires étaient de répertorier les interruptions de travail et d’évaluer les erreurs de médicaments.</p><p><strong>Méthodes : </strong>La présente étude observationnelle avant-après s’est intéressée à la saisie d’ordonnances de  chimiothérapie pour les patients ambulatoires en oncologie. La saisie d’ordonnances était réalisée par des pharmaciens avant le changement de procédé (phase 1), puis, après le changement (phase 2), un TPDSC en avait la responsabilité. Un pharmacien vérifiait la saisie d’ordonnances au cours des deux phases. Les tâches étaient chronométrées par un observateur indépendant à l’aide d’un assistant numérique personnel. Un échantillon de  commodité de 125 ordonnances était souhaité pour chaque phase. Les données ont été consignées dans un tableur Excel de Microsoft et les écarts de temps pour chaque tâche ont été évalués à l’aide d’un test <em>t </em>pour échantillons indépendants.</p><p><strong>Résultats : </strong>Au total, on a chronométré le temps de saisie pour 143 ordonnances à la phase 1 (pharmacien), puis de 128 ordonnances pour la phase 2 (TPDSC). Le temps total moyen nécessaire pour saisir une ordonnance était plus long au cours de la phase 1 (1 min 37 s contre 1 min 20 s; <em>p </em>= 0,044). Au total, on a chronométré la vérification (réalisée par un pharmacien) de saisie pour 144 ordonnances à la phase 1 et 122 ordonnances à la phase 2. Aucune différence notable n’a été relevée dans le temps total moyen de vérification (1 min 21 s contre 1 min 20 s; <em>p </em>= 0,69). On a dénombré 33 interruptions sans lien à la saisie d’ordonnances (totalisant 39 min 38 s) au cours de la phase 1 et 25 interruptions (totalisant 30 min et 8 s) durant la phase 2. Trois erreurs à la saisie d’ordonnances ont été observées pendant la phase 1 et une erreur à la vérification de la saisie d’ordonnances pendant la phase 2; ces erreurs ont été jugées sans effet sur les soins aux patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions : </strong>La saisie d’ordonnances de chimiothérapie par un TPDSC formé semblait être tout aussi sûre et efficiente que si elle était réalisée par un pharmacien. Les changements apportés au champ de pratique des techniciens en pharmacie pourraient accroître le temps dont disposent les pharmaciens pour prodiguer des soins directs aux patients en oncologie.</p>

scholarly journals Using Real-Life Data to Strengthen the Education of Pharmacy Technician Students: From Student to Research Assistant

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjarke Abrahamsen ◽  
Rikke Nørgaard Hansen ◽  
Marianne Bjørn-Christensen ◽  
Tina Druskeit ◽  
Charlotte Rossing
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Pharmacy Technician ◽  
Life Data ◽  
Real Life Data ◽  
Valid Data ◽  
Elective Course ◽  
Pharmacy Technicians ◽  
Beliefs About Medications

This commentary is based on the experience of teaching and observations of how pharmacy technician students can expand their perspective on patient safety by using real-life student-gathered patient data collected from community pharmacies. Pharmacy technicians in Denmark work extensively with counselling on the safe and efficient use of medications. Final-year pharmacy technician students can take the elective course in Clinical Pharmacy in Community Pharmacy, which targets the students who wish to work in depth with patient communication and quality assurance in counselling. One assignment that forms part of the course is for students to collect data about patients’ beliefs about medications. Teachers’ observations suggest that when students gather and work with their own data, they change their perspective on patients’ beliefs about medications. It also strengthens the students’ awareness of their responsibility for ensuring patient safety and contributes valid data to research in pharmacy practice.

scholarly journals Things I Wish I had Known before becoming a Pharmacy Leader

2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott M. Mark
Keyword(s):  
Health Systems ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Managerial Roles ◽  
Pharmacy Leaders

The Director's Forum series is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. This month's article is intended to provide tips and guidance for new pharmacists who suddenly find themselves in managerial roles. While this can be a challenge, there is a network of colleagues within the profession who have also experienced this transition.

“Don’t talk to them about goals of care”: Understanding disparities in advance care planning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepshikha Charan Ashana ◽  
Noah D’Arcangelo ◽  
Priscilla K Gazarian ◽  
Avni Gupta ◽  
Stephen Perez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Advance Care Planning ◽  
Religious Beliefs ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
National Study ◽  
Care Planning ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Advance Care

Abstract Background Structurally marginalized groups experience disproportionately low rates of advance care planning (ACP). To improve equitable patient-centered end-of-life care, we examine barriers and facilitators to ACP among clinicians as they are central participants in these discussions. Methods In this national study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with purposively selected clinicians from six diverse health systems between August 2018 and June 2019. Thematic analysis yielded themes characterizing clinicians’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to ACP among patients, and patient-centered ways of overcoming them. Results Among 74 participants, 49 (66.2%) were physicians, 16.2% were nurses, and 13.5% were social workers. Most worked in primary care (35.1%), geriatrics (21.1%), and palliative care (19.3%) settings. Clinicians most frequently expressed difficulty discussing ACP with certain racial and ethnic groups (African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American) (31.1%), non-native English speakers (24.3%), and those with certain religious beliefs (Catholic, Orthodox Jewish, and Muslim) (13.5%). Clinicians were more likely to attribute barriers to ACP completion to patients (62.2%), than to clinicians (35.1%) or health systems (37.8%). Three themes characterized clinicians’ difficulty approaching ACP (Preconceived views of patients’ preferences; narrow definitions of successful ACP; lacking institutional resources), while the final theme illustrated facilitators to ACP (Acknowledging bias and rejecting stereotypes; mission-driven focus on ACP; acceptance of all preferences). Conclusions Most clinicians avoided ACP with certain racial and ethnic groups, those with limited English fluency, and persons with certain religious beliefs. Our findings provide evidence to support development of clinician-level and institutional-level interventions and to reduce disparities in ACP.

Pharmacy Leadership Amid the Pandemic: Maintaining Patient Safety During Uncertain Times

2021 ◽  
pp. 001857872110375
Author(s):  
Irene Derrong Lin ◽  
John B. Hertig
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
World Health ◽  
Leadership Strategies ◽  
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Pharmacy Leaders ◽  
Effective Treatments

The relentless surges of global severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections that caused the Covid-19 disease had pressured researchers and regulators to develop effective treatments quickly. While studying these therapies amid the pandemic, threats to patient care were reported, including (1) maintaining adequate safeguards as clinical effectiveness and safety data evolves, (2) risks from online counterfeit medications, and (3) disruption of the global pharmaceutical supply chain. This article discusses these patient safety threats and suggests strategies that promote patient safety, foster medication intelligence, and mitigate drug shortages. As the world continues to develop safe and effective treatments for Covid-19, patient safety is paramount. In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm, leaders must establish effective approaches to improve medication safety during the pandemic. Successfully integrating these leadership strategies with current practices allows pharmacy leaders to implement robust systems to reduce errors, prevent harm, and advocate for patient safety.

scholarly journals Application of electronic trigger tools to identify targets for improving diagnostic safety

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R Murphy ◽  
Ashley ND Meyer ◽  
Dean F Sittig ◽  
Derek W Meeks ◽  
Eric J Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Event ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Diagnostic Errors ◽  
Diagnostic Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Preventable Harm

Progress in reducing diagnostic errors remains slow partly due to poorly defined methods to identify errors, high-risk situations, and adverse events. Electronic trigger (e-trigger) tools, which mine vast amounts of patient data to identify signals indicative of a likely error or adverse event, offer a promising method to efficiently identify errors. The increasing amounts of longitudinal electronic data and maturing data warehousing techniques and infrastructure offer an unprecedented opportunity to implement new types of e-trigger tools that use algorithms to identify risks and events related to the diagnostic process. We present a knowledge discovery framework, the Safer Dx Trigger Tools Framework, that enables health systems to develop and implement e-trigger tools to identify and measure diagnostic errors using comprehensive electronic health record (EHR) data. Safer Dx e-trigger tools detect potential diagnostic events, allowing health systems to monitor event rates, study contributory factors and identify targets for improving diagnostic safety. In addition to promoting organisational learning, some e-triggers can monitor data prospectively and help identify patients at high-risk for a future adverse event, enabling clinicians, patients or safety personnel to take preventive actions proactively. Successful application of electronic algorithms requires health systems to invest in clinical informaticists, information technology professionals, patient safety professionals and clinicians, all of who work closely together to overcome development and implementation challenges. We outline key future research, including advances in natural language processing and machine learning, needed to improve effectiveness of e-triggers. Integrating diagnostic safety e-triggers in institutional patient safety strategies can accelerate progress in reducing preventable harm from diagnostic errors.

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