Drug Topics- August 11, 2008

6 HSE DRUG TOPICS AUGUST 11, 2008 www.drugtopics.com > > > Professional Practice ASHP spells out agenda for improving medication safety Jillene Magill-Lewis, R.Ph. M edication management and safety were prominent topics at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) summer meeting in June. Members of ASHP’s board of directors discussed these and other issues. “Patients expect safe and effective care,” Henri R. Manasse Jr., secretary of ASHP’s board of directors, said. “We cannot have patients be injured or killed as a result of drug therapy.” Janet Silvester, president and chair of ASHP’s board of directors, said a primary goal for ASHP is to prevent medication errors that lead to death and serious injury. “We just need to make it stop,” Silvester said. ASHP has created an agenda to improve medication safety and advance the practice of pharmacy. The agenda includes improved quality of medication use, tools for getting the most out of pharmacy resources, a pharmacy workplace capable of meeting current and future patient needs, and health-information technologies to facilitate continuous improvement. When it comes to improving medication use, ASHP has several ways of attacking the problem. ASHP wants to be sure pharmacists are included in any movement to improve medication safety. The organization is also encouraging the development of national standards for performance measures and best practices for pharmacy practice and medication use. In addition, the ASHP Foundation will be Janet Silvester ASHP president Henri Manasse ASHP CEO Kevin Colgan ASHP presidentelect participating in an intravenous (IV) drug safety summit. Sustainable practice standards in IV practice are needed, Silvester said. The goal of the summit, which occurred July 14-15 in Washington, was to develop minimum safe practices for IV drugs. (Drug Topics will follow up on the summit in its September issue.) Better utilizing health-system pharmacy technicians could do a lot to improve medication use and safety, according to ASHP’s board members. Kevin Colgan, presidentelect and vice-chair of the board of directors, cited recent survey results indicating 73% of Americans polled thought technicians are trained. “So, there’s a disconnect between what the public thinks we have and what we actually have,” Colgan said. ASHP board members said they would like to see all health-system technicians trained via an ASHP-accredited training program. There are 120 of these programs across the United States. They would also like to see technicians get certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and have all states register pharmacy technicians. A recent increase in residency-trained pharmacists has helped to bolster and improve the pharmacy workforce, according to Colgan. “We’ve got a brighter workforce than we’ve ever had before,” he said. THE AUTHOR is a writer based in the Seattle area. The House of Delegates votes on important issues The House decided on a number of issues crucial to health-system pharmacy during the Summer Meeting in Seattle. For a complete list of approved policies, visit ASHP’s Web site at www.ashp.org. Here are several of the policies the House voted to approve: Expand the role of pharmacy interns beyond that of technicians. Advocate that states create uniform laws for registering, certifying, and regulating pharmacy technicians. Promote collaboration of health-system teaching sites with colleges of pharmacy. Develop nationally standardized drug concentrations and dosing units for common, continuously infused, high-risk drugs. ASHP will also encourage the use of infusion devices and drug information that will aid in dosing and administering drugs correctly. Urge manufacturers to declare the name and derivative source of all excipients in drug products on the official label. Support a fully funded Medicare prescription drug program that maintains continuity of care and ensures the best use of medications. • • • • • • http://www.drugtopics.com http://www.ashp.org

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Drug Topics- August 11, 2008 Contents Latebreakers Letters DEA Proposes Rule To Allow Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances Merger, Medicare Reform Could Mean Broader E-Prescribing Adoption New Combination Pill Approved for Type 2 Diabetes New Eczema Guildlines Promote Use of Emollients, Then Topical Corticosteroids Agencies Flush Original Strategies in Favor of Promoting Drug Take-Back Programs JP at Large: You Laughing at Me? Pharmacists Find Themselves at Mercy of Prior Authorization State Law Requiring PBM Transparency See Some Gains, Some Losses Global Counterfeiting Still Growing, Says U.S. Commerce Official FDA Saftey Page: Prophylthiouracil Still Confused with Purinethol (mercaptopurine) New Products Bring Lice Treatment to a Head NACDS Marketplace Showcases New Product that Fill Unmet Needs Update on Respiratory Tract Infections Execs Share War Stories About Adopting Technology in their Stores New Products Advertisters Index Classified Viewpoint: Medicare Part D Revisions sorely needed

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