September 14, 2009
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, RPh
Pharmacists can improve patient outcomes by following 3 major functions: identification of potential and actual medication-related problems (MRPs), resolution of actual MRPs, and prevention of potential MRPs. The best way to achieve these goals is through accurate documentation, and one of the chief obstacles to this is time?or rather the lack of it. Various software programs have been developed to help pharmacists reduce time spent identifying opportunities for interventions.
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July 20, 2009
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD
Leading the drive to improve medication safety is the need to develop safer systems for monitoring and delivering drugs.
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June 15, 2009
By:Formulary journal staff
A prospective study published in Archives of Internal Medicine demonstrated that despite standardization of data entry within the computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system in a specific healthcare facility, inconsistent communication in orders entered into the CPOE posed a significant safety risk.
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May 1, 2009
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD
Because so many people nowadays seem to be using cell phones rather than computers and e-mail to stay in touch, telemedicine programs are taking note of this trend and beginning to rely more on mobile phone technology.
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February 1, 2009
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD
Confusing drug names, or "look-alike/sound-alike names" (LASAs), are among the most common reasons for medication errors worldwide; these errors can lead to both morbidity and mortality. Both technological innovations and better communication can help healthcare professionals track and prevent these medication mix-ups.
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January 20, 2009
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD
Not so long ago, medically underserved rural communities had only limited options, if any, when need arose for healthcare services and pharmaceutical support. That situation is finally changing, as necessity and technology converge in emerging applications of telepharmacy, the delivery of pharmaceutical care by means of telecommunications and information technologies to patients at a distance from large, usually urban tertiary healthcare centers.
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June 1, 2008
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, RPh
In June 2007, FDA approved an Electronic Medication Management Assistant (EMMA) device and electronic medication administration record (eMAR) to help combat problems involving drug identification and dosing.
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May 1, 2008
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, RPh
Approximately 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur in US hospitals each year. These HAIs, which include pneumonia, bloodstream infections (BSIs), and urinary tract infections (UTIs), account for approximately 99,000 deaths and $5 billion in additional healthcare costs.
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January 1, 2008
By:Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD
Bar coding drugs has been demonstrated to improve patient safety by reducing medication errors.
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