Impact of Medication Dose Tracking Technology on Nursing Practice.

Objective: The impact of providing nursing staff access to data collected through a medication dose tracking technology (MDTT) web portal was investigated. Methods: A quasi-experimental, nonrandomized, pre-post intervention study was conducted in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU) at Duke University Hospital. The change in the number of medication requests per dispense routed to the pharmacy electronic health record (EHR) in-basket was analyzed pre and post web portal access. Other endpoints included the number of MDTT web portal queries per day by nursing staff, change in nursing satisfaction survey scores, and technician time associated with processing medication requests pre and post web portal access. The pre web portal access phase of the study occurred from June 1, 2014 to August 31, 2014. The post web portal access phase occurred from October 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Results: An 11.4% decrease in the number of medication requests per dispense was exhibited between the pre and post web portal access phases of the study (0.0579 vs 0.0513, respectively; p < .001). Pre and post surveys showed a significant improvement in nurses' satisfaction regarding access to information on the location of medications (p = .009). Additionally, CTICU nursing staff utilized the MDTT web portal for 3.21 queries per day from October 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Conclusion: Providing nurses access to data collected via an MDTT decreased the number of communications between nursing and pharmacy staff regarding medication availability and led to statistically significant improvements in nursing satisfaction for certain aspects of the medication distribution process.

Evaluation of the impact of a clinic infusion pharmacist on the retention of infusion therapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of an embedded clinic infusion pharmacist on the retention of outpatient infusion therapy. METHODS: This was a single-center, pre-post, retrospective and prospective cohort study at a large quaternary care academic medical center. Outpatient infusion administrations were included in this study if they originated from a clinic with an embedded clinic infusion pharmacist and were targeted high-impact medications. The primary outcome was the impact of embedded clinic infusion pharmacists on the number of infusion administrations from before to after implementation. Secondary outcomes included the time from order entry to first infusion, return on investment (ROI), and level of utilization of various infusion centers. Outpatient infusion and injection administrations were divided into 2 cohorts: a preimplementation cohort administered from April 2021 to March 2022 and a postimplementation cohort administered from April 2022 to March 2023. RESULTS: A total of 12,257 outpatient infusion administrations were included in the study from the inflammatory bowel disease, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, and neurology clinics. As the embedded infusion pharmacists began working within the respective clinics, a statistically significant increase could be seen in the overall administration of high-impact medications (from 5,683 infusions before implementation to 6,574 infusions after implementation; P < 0.001). The ROI for an embedded clinic infusion pharmacist's services was greater than 2,500%. CONCLUSION: Retention of outpatient infusion therapy can be significantly increased with a positive ROI through allocation of pharmacist resources to areas initiating infusions. Health systems can utilize this model to improve patient access to infusion and injection therapies at entity-owned clinics.

Provider Perceptions Toward Extended-Release Buprenorphine for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: The persistence of the opioid crisis and the proliferation of synthetic fentanyl have heightened the demand for the implementation of novel delivery mechanisms of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of opioid use disorder, including injectable extended-release buprenorphine (buprenorphine-ER). The purpose of this study was to understand provider-level barriers to prescribing buprenorphine in order to facilitate targeted strategies to improve implementation for patients who would benefit from this novel formulation. METHODS: Using an interview template adapted from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we conducted structured focus group interviews with 20 providers in an outpatient addiction clinic across 4 sessions to assess providers' perceptions of buprenorphine-ER. Ninety-four unique comments were identified and deductively coded using standardized CFIR constructs. RESULTS: Providers expressed mixed receptivity and confidence in using buprenorphine-ER. Although providers could identify a number of theoretical advantages to the injectable formulation over sublingual buprenorphine, many expressed reservations about using it due to inexperience, negative patient experiences, uncertainties about patient candidacy, cost, and logistical constraints. CONCLUSIONS: Provider concerns about buprenorphine-ER may limit utilization. Some concerns may be mitigated through improved education, research, and logistical support. Given the putative benefits of buprenorphine-ER, future research should target barriers to implementation, in part based on hypotheses generated by these findings.

A new perspective: Practice-enhancing publications about the medication-use process in ambulatory care in 2020.

PURPOSE: This article identifies, prioritizes, and summarizes published literature on the ambulatory care medication-use process (ACMUP) from calendar year 2020 that can impact ambulatory pharmacy practice. SUMMARY: The medication-use process is the foundational system that provides the framework for safe medication utilization within the healthcare environment and was reimagined to focus on new innovations and advancements in ambulatory pharmacy practice. The ACMUP is defined in this article as having the following components: transitions of care, prescribing and collaborative practice, accessing care, adherence, and monitoring and quality. Articles evaluating at least one step of the ACMUP were assessed for their usefulness toward practice improvement. A PubMed search covering calendar year 2020 was conducted in January 2021 using targeted Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords and the table of contents of selected pharmacy journals, providing a total of 9,433 articles. A thorough review identified 65 potentially practice-enhancing articles: 14 for transitions of care, 19 for prescribing and collaborative practice, 10 for adherence, 6 for accessing care, and 16 for monitoring and quality. Ranking of the articles for importance by peers led to the selection of key articles from each category. The highest-ranked articles are briefly summarized, with a mention of why each article is important. The other articles are listed for further review and evaluation. CONCLUSION: It is important to routinely review the published literature and to incorporate significant findings into daily practice. This article is the first to define and evaluate the currently published literature pertinent to the ACMUP. As healthcare continues to advance and care shifts to ambulatory settings, the ACMUP will continue to be a crucial process to evaluate.

From natural disaster to pandemic: A health-system pharmacy rises to the challenge.

PURPOSE: This report describes a health-system pharmacy's response to a natural disaster while staff members simultaneously prepared for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. By detailing our experience, we hope to help other institutions that are current facing or could encounter similar crises. SUMMARY: In early March 2020, a tornado destroyed the health system's warehouse for storage of most clinical supplies, including personal protective equipment and fluids. The pharmacy purchasing team collaborated with suppliers and manufacturers to recover losses and establish alternative storage areas. Days later, the pharmacy department was forced to address the impending COVID-19 pandemic. Key elements of the COVID-19 response included reducing the potential for virus exposure for patients and staff; overcoming challenges in sourcing of staff, personal protective equipment, and medications; and changing care delivery practices to maintain high-quality patient care while maximizing social distancing. The pharmacy department also created distance learning opportunities for 70 pharmacy students on rotations. After an initial plan, ongoing needs include adjustment in patient care activities if significant staff losses occur, when and how to resume clinical activities, and how to best utilize the resources accumulated. Elements of practice changes implemented to reduce COVID-19 threats to patients and pharmacy personnel have proven beneficial and will be further evaluated for potential continuation. CONCLUSION: The pharmacy department's efforts to respond to a natural disaster and unprecedented pandemic have proven successful to this point and have illuminated several lessons, including the necessity of cohesive department communication, staff flexibility, prioritization of teamwork, and external collaboration.

Risk factors for discharge on a new antipsychotic medication after admission to an intensive care unit.

PURPOSE: Increased awareness of delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) has led to higher use of antipsychotic medications for treatment of delirium. These medications are often not discontinued at ICU or hospital discharge, which may increase the risk of inappropriate polypharmacy. Our study sought to identify risk factors for being discharged on a new antipsychotic medication after admission to a trauma-surgical ICU or neurocritical care unit. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study at an academic medical center and included patients who were admitted to the trauma-surgical ICU or neurocritical care unit and received an antipsychotic medication. Those younger than 18 years, died before hospital discharge, or did not have complete documentation were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 341 records were included in the final analysis. Of those, 82 (24%) were discharged on a new antipsychotic and 67% of those patients had no documented indication. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (odds ratio, 1.030 [95% confidence interval, 1.030-1.110]) and days treated with benzodiazepines (odds ratio, 1.101 [95% confidence interval, 1.060-1.143]) were independently associated with being discharged on a new antipsychotic medication. CONCLUSIONS: Those patients with higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores and more benzodiazepine days are at increased odds of being discharged on a new antipsychotic.