July 7 Health Systems Policy Roundup DIR reform, supply chain security, and more PT July 2021 Regardless of where you live, the action in Washington, DC, affects you, your patients, and your practice. Get up to speed on the latest news from federal agencies, Congress, and the White House. Rachel Balick
July 7 Health Systems On The Docket Court considers malpractice liability of pharmacy technician PT July 2021 Pharmacy technicians may be held liable for malpractice when they breach their duty to patients. A legal case illustrates how miscommunication and a distrustful perspective can serve as the basis for malpractice liability of a pharmacy technician. David B. Brushwood, BSPharm, JD
July 7 Health Systems Smart Pumps Make smart pumps work harder to keep patients safe PT July 2021 Smart pump errors, which involve both human and technical factors, can cause injury or death to patients. Fatigue and distractions plague many busy patient care units and frequently contribute to smart pump errors. Joey Sweeney, PharmD, BCPS
July 7 Health Systems Antibiotic Resistance Study suggests 3-day antibiotic treatment course in hospitalized patients PT July 2021 The “postantibiotic era” is not coming—it is already here. The ubiquity of lower respiratory tract infections makes community acquired pneumonia (CAP) an evident target in limiting antimicrobial exposure. Results from a new study, published in April 2021 in the Lancet by Dinh and colleagues, boasts success for patients with a 3-day CAP treatment course. Corey Diamond, PharmD
July 7 Health Systems Heart Failure New ACC guidance focuses on optimizing care in patients with HFrEF PT July 2021 Management of patients with heart failure (HF) has evolved over the past few years, prompting the American College of Cardiology (ACC) to release an updated Expert Consensus Decision Pathway to provide guidance and recommendations on the clinical care of patients with HF with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD
July 7 Health Systems Trending Topics in Health-System Pharmacy Inpatient Insights PT July 2021 Trending Topics in Health-System Pharmacy
July 7 Practice & Trends Error Alert ISMP cautions against injection and wrong-route errors PT July 2021 The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) received the following reports of injection and wrong-route errors that will likely happen again unless risk reduction strategies are implemented. Institute for Safe Medication Practices
July 7 Practice & Trends COVID-19 Testing Patient counseling points for at-home COVID-19 tests PT July 2021 New and relatively low-priced at-home COVID-19 tests are now available at local pharmacies and can also be shipped directly to a patient’s home. Clarissa Chan, PharmD
July 7 Practice & Trends Heart Arrhythmias New safety warning for lamotrigine highlights risk of arrhythmias PT July 2021 The potential cardiac effects of lamotrigine were added to its label late last year, and in March 2021, FDA released a drug safety communication highlighting the increased risk of arrhythmias in patients with heart disease who use lamotrigine. Maria G. Tanzi, PharmD
July 7 Practice & Trends Value-Based Care PQA measures to expand beyond dispensing and claims data PT July 2021 The shift to quality-based incentives continues to emerge in pharmacy. The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) is currently working to develop pharmacy measures for A1C and blood pressure reporting; adherence to medications for hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes treatment; and antidepressant medication management. Loren Bonner