Enhancing Medication Error Surveillance for Improved Patient Safety
In this article, Dr. Jill Paslier, PharmD, CSP, FISMP analyzes the benefits of medication error surveillance and how it can enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. Dr. Paslier provides three key components to implementing a successful MES program, and highlights the probable outcomes of increased monitoring. Introduction to Medication Error Surveillance Medication error surveillance […]
Guiding Providers Through the Complexities of Ig Therapy for Patient Safety
IgNS President/CEO Luba Sobolevsky and Director of Educational Resources Rachel Colletta explore the factors that make immunoglobulin therapy so complex, and the different solutions and resources clinicians can use to ensure safe and effective treatment. The Immunoglobulin National Society (IgNS) emerged in 2012 as the leading multidisciplinary association for healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in the […]
Why, Who & How: Infusion Center Accreditation
NICA Accreditation Program Director Edie Gigot, MSN, RN, MBA explains the importance of established standards in healthcare and expands on the National Infusion Center Association’s Standards of Excellence for Ambulatory Infusion Centers. Edie also explores the application of these standards in infusion center accreditation, discussing the why, who, and how of becoming a NICA-accredited center. […]
IV Therapy Advocacy Through the Lens of a Nurse
Marlene M. Steinheiser, PhD, RN, CRNI®, shares her personal experiences with self-advocacy in infusion therapy. As a seasoned infusion professional, Dr. Steinheiser has not only advocated for her own safety and educated the clinicians around her, but has extended her guidance to family, teaching others how to ensure they receive the best IV therapy possible. […]
The Vital Role of Pharmacy Technicians
The following post was written by Chris Jerry of the Emily Jerry Foundation. Chris tragically lost his daughter as a result of a preventable medical error made by a pharmacy technician. We are grateful to Chris for his courage in sharing his story as well as for the work he is doing to bring light […]
It’s Time for Pharmacy to Find Ways to Collect and Share Information
A big thanks goes out to Jerry Fahrni, Founder of Jerry Fahrni Consulting and Director of Pharmacy Services at Sutter Health, for allowing RxToolKit to republish his article on electronic medical records, data collection, and pharmaceutical practices. Regardless of what everyone thinks, the healthcare industry is in the infancy of “big data”. The concept isn’t […]
Pharmacy IV Rooms: Are we minding the gap…???
Thank you to Rayburn Vrabel, former President and Principal Consultant at Vrabel Consulting Inc., and current Medication Systems Strategy Advisor, for allowing RxToolKit to publish his article, as originally seen on LinkedIn May 15, 2015, about the systems and practices that affect IV room safety. Last week in Mark Neuenschwander’s Point of Care Forum (www.pointofcareforum.com), […]
Pharmacy Technician Certification
Christina Martin, Section Chief – IVAU at the National Institutes of Health, discusses the lack of regulation of pharmacy technicians in most states. As a former PhT, she emphasizes the importance of certification and licensure for pharmacy technicians. I began my pharmacy career in 2003 as a pharmacy technician for Weis Markets in Lancaster County, […]
Medication Errors: “A Pharmacist’s Tale”
JDJ Consulting Founder and President John Karwoski discusses a recent near-miss medication error and the actions he took to rectify the situation. He also provides suggestions for ways to prevent medication errors and near-misses in the future. I was working at the hospital last night and caught a “near-miss.” The physician ordered a 4000 unit […]