Pharmacy & Therapeutics - October 2008 - (Page 568)

EDITORIAL continued from page 566 MEDICATION ERRORS continued from page 567 has a national reputation for expertise, especially in areas of health care quality, safety, and chronic care management. For the past decade, the Department has demonstrated a sustained ability, via major grant funding, to conduct research and continuing education programming in these and other policy areas. The university has further demonstrated its commitment to population health through its establishment of an accredited Master’s degree program in public health (MPH). Additional expertise is found in the Department of Family and Community Medicine; the Kimmel Cancer Center, especially its Division of Population Science in the Department of Medical Oncology; the Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health (CARAH) of Jefferson College of Health Professions; and in key leadership areas of Jefferson Hospital and Jefferson University Physicians (JUP). The establishment of the School of Health Policy and Population Health will recognize and build on existing Jefferson strengths and provide a venue for these strengths that is visible nationally and internationally. It will serve as a platform to expand opportunities for related research and grants within the school collaboratively throughout the university and via new national and international partnerships. Finally, establishing a School of Health Policy and Population Health is in keeping with Jefferson’s historic tradition of clinical excellence and service to the community. Over time, however, the definition of community has changed—from city to region, from region to nation, and now, to the world. Ensuring the health and wellness of all populations, in all places, and providing quality and compassionate health care to all who need it will remain a defining theme of the 21st century. It is no longer possible for Jefferson to achieve clinical excellence, to educate medical and health care professionals, and to serve the community without making health policy and population health a central focus of these efforts. In 2024, Jefferson will celebrate its bicentennial. To achieve such a milestone is rare for any institution. Jefferson is fortunate in that it can reach into a rich and illustrious past as it builds for the future. Two hundred years of wisdom and experience have produced continued success, a valued reputation, and a strategic vision. The establishment of the School of Health Policy and Population Health will enable Jefferson to maintain and enhance its position as a leading academic health center and to expand its influence and contributions to the global community. As always, I’m interested in your comments. My e-mail address is david.nash@jefferson.edu. Readers can follow our progress online at www.jefferson.edu/JSHPPH and by viewing my blog, http://departmentofhealthpolicy.blogspot.com. I’d like to acknowledge the input of my colleague in this editorial, Caroline Golab, PhD. I pecially before a clinician administers a bolus dose. 10. A system of independent double-checks should be instituted. A manual double-check process should be created for clinicians to follow when they are verifying PCA medications, pump settings, the patient’s identity, and the line attachments. 11. When possible, bar-coding technology and “smart” PCA pumps should be used to alert clinicians to potential programming errors. However, until newer pumps are adapted for barcoding, it should be noted that automated checks do not entirely replace manual, independent double-checks to verify other dimensions not covered by the automation, such as patient identification with current smart pumps or pump settings with current bar-code systems. The reports described in this column were received through the USP–ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP). Errors, close calls, or hazardous conditions may be reported on the ISMP (www. ismp.org) or the USP (www.usp.org) Web site or communicated directly to ISMP by calling 1-800-FAILSAFE or via e-mail at ismpinfo@ismp.org. I COMING SOON TO P&T EDITORIAL: Evidence-Informed Case Rates David B. Nash, MD, MBA DRUG FORECAST: Ceftobiprole, a Broad-Spectrum Cephalosporin With Activity Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Jamie Kisgen, PharmD, and Dana Whitney, PharmD, BCPS FEATURE ARTICLES: Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: Over view and Treatment Daniel A. Zinkovsky, PharmD, and Marilena S. Antonopoulos, PharmD Evaluation of Medication Utilization Patterns And Hypertension-Related Expenditures Among Patients Switched from Fixed-Dose To Free-Combination Antihypertensive Therapy Gregory Hess, MD, MBA, Jerrold Hill, PhD, Helen Lau, MS, Homa Dastani, PhD, and Paresh Chaudhari, PharmD, MPH 568 P&T® • October 2008 • Vol. 33 No. 10 http://www.ismp.org http://www.usp.org http://www.jefferson.edu/JSHPPH http://departmentofhealthpolicy.blogspot.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmacy & Therapeutics - October 2008

Pharmacy & Therapeutics - October 2008 Contents Editorial Medication Errors Prescription: Washington New Drugs/Drug News/ New Medical Devices Drug Forecast Medical Management of Parkinson’s Disease Why Is Health Care Regulation So Complex? The Next President’s Prescription for Action on Drugs Trends in Managing Multiple Sclerosis Product Profiler: Sancuso®

Pharmacy & Therapeutics - October 2008

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