ASHP Mid-Year kicks off on Sunday. As the biggest hospital pharmacy event of the year, it is always a great opportunity to learn about the latest trends and technologies and catch up with old friends. As usual, we have lots of new innovations and success stories to share so be sure to work these key activities into your itinerary.
Challenges Hospital Pharmacies Face When Dealing With Recalls
During a recent deployment of Kit Check, the pharmacy staff and Kit Check deployment manager were surprised when the system alerted them to the presence of a recalled drug before they were even done with the implementation. This particular recall was issued months before the Kit Check implementation which means whatever processes the hospital had in place for dealing with recalls had failed. As I reflected on this incident, I began to fully appreciate the monumental challenge hospital pharmacies face when it comes to recalls.
Extending expiration dates on shortage drugs often fails to have an impact
When a drug shortage is so severe the FDA sometimes issues guidance allowing pharmacies to extend the expiration date for the affected medications. The theory is that by extending the expiration dates of these products, more inventory is kept in the supply chain reducing the impact of the shortage. In reality, however, many of these drugs still get thrown away at or prior to the original manufacturer’s dating.
Airplane Engines, Hospital Pharmacies, and Controlled Substance Diversion Prevention
Health Connect Partners Fall 17 (#hcpchicago) just wrapped up in Chicago and, wow, was it a great show. While interacting with all of the pharmacy thought leaders in attendance, the topic that kept coming up was the issue of controlled substance compliance. The stage could not have been more ideally set for the unveiling of our latest product, Bluesight for Controlled Substances.
Launching Our Latest Product at HCP Fall 17
HCP Fall 17 is next week in Chicago. While I always enjoy HCP, this year’s event will be particularly meaningful for me. Not only is the event taking place in my hometown, Kit Check is launching an exciting new product to help hospitals get a better handle on controlled substance monitoring from dock to doc.
Three Trends in Diversion Prevention, Detection, and Response from IHFDA
Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the International Health Facility Diversion Association (IHFDA) Conference in St. Louis. This 2nd annual gathering brought together practitioners, vendors and experts to share best practices around preventing, detecting and responding to diversion in hospitals. For those of you who weren’t able to make the event, here are three themes that resonated throughout the conference’s presentations and discussions.
Three steps to make your next pharmacy automation budget proposal resonate with Finance
A major value proposition of most automation solutions is staff efficiency gains. Typically, pharmacy leaders work with their sales rep to quantify efficiency in terms of dollar savings to include in the ROI model of their proposal. When the proposal reaches Finance, however, it inevitably gets picked apart. The problem… in most cases no headcount is actually being eliminated and Finance will argue (perhaps fairly) that, as such, the ROI model is inaccurate.
Infographic: 2017-18 Trends for Hospital Pharmacy Leaders
The Hospital Pharmacy Operations Report is a great resource for pharmacy leaders seeking to understand how their peers are prioritizing their focus for the current fiscal year. That being said, we can appreciate that reading the full report may not make it to the top of your priority list because of the day-to-day challenges that consume the work day. As … Read More
Pharmacy Leaders Consider Documentation Accuracy a Top Priority but Spend Minimal Resources on Oversight
Each year, Kit Check surveys pharmacy leaders across the country about the challenges they face and best practices employed for controlled substances. Our annual Anesthesia Medication Tracking Survey tracks technology adoption, policy changes, and worries in and around the OR. This year, we asked respondents the simple open-ended question, “What is your biggest challenge in and around the OR?” Audit … Read More
Easing the Impact of Drug Shortages on Hospital Pharmacy Operations
Drug shortages are an unavoidable fact of life for hospital pharmacies. Whether due to bad demand planning on the part of the manufacturer, factory shutdowns due to compliance issues, recalls, or an ordering snafu on the part of purchasing, pharmacy staff frequently find themselves without the preferred formulary items they need to keep the pharmacy running smoothly. Some recent shortages … Read More
Squad Goals: Kit Check’s Annual Pharmacy Survey Reviews Top Tech Initiatives for Hospital Pharmacies
The Kit Check network includes a vast collective of pharmacy executives who, by virtue of their roles and responsibilities, face similar challenges and opportunities. That’s why every year we seek to leverage the collective knowledge of your pharmacy peers to understand trends around areas like staffing, workflow, and technology. After reviewing the results from the survey, we were particularly curious … Read More
The 2017 Hospital Pharmacy Operations Report is ready for download
Today we publish the fourth annual Hospital Pharmacy Operations Report. Some of the key themes of the 2017 survey include how hospitals are navigating drug price increases, the status of personnel budgets, and a description of the key drivers of pharmacy technology initiatives.