Does circle priming improve smart infusion pump and electronic health record interoperability for chemotherapy in a pediatric hematology/oncology setting?

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this project was to assess the percentage of interoperability compliance within our pediatric hematology/oncology patient care areas for intravenous chemotherapy medications before and after the implementation of circle priming. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective quality improvement project at an inpatient pediatric hematology/oncology floor and outpatient pediatric infusion center before and after implementation of circle priming. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in percent interoperability compliance for the inpatient pediatric hematology/oncology floor from 4.1% prior to implementation of circle priming to 35.6% after (odds ratio 13.1 (95% CI, 3.96-43.1), p < 0.001), as well as for the outpatient pediatric infusion center from 18.5% to 47.3%, respectively (odds ratio 3.9 (95% CI, 2.7-5.9), p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Implementation of circle priming has significantly increased the percentage of interoperability compliance for intravenous chemotherapy medications in our pediatric hematology/oncology patient care areas.

Hospital Acquired Venous Thromboembolism: A Preventability Assessment.

Background: The American Heart Association has a call to action to reduce hospital acquired venous thromboembolism (HA-VTE) by 20% by the year 2030. There is increasing recognition that quality improvement initiatives for VTE reduction should focus on reducing potentially preventable HA-VTE. The objective of our study was to determine what proportion of HA-VTE events are potentially preventable. Methods: This was a retrospective, single center pilot study of 50 patients with HA-VTE. Seven preventability factors were identified with a focus on VTE prescription and administration. Data were extracted through chart review using a systematic data collection form. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with potentially preventable HA-VTE. Descriptive statistics were used. Results: The median age was 66 years with an admission VTE risk level of moderate-high in 94%. Potentially preventable HA-VTE was found in 40% of cases. Missed doses occurred in 29.8% with a median of 2 missed doses and a range of 1 to 20. Patient refusal was the most common reason for missed doses in 71%. Delays in initiation occurred in 12.7%. Sixty percent of those on mechanical prophylaxis only had nonadherence. Conclusion: Forty percent of HA-VTE cases were potentially preventable. Missed doses was the most common preventability factor identified with patient refusal accounting for most missed doses.

Safety and Effectiveness of an Anti-Xa-based Unfractionated Heparin Protocol for Impella Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices.

Background: Impella devices are used for mechanical circulatory support in patients with cardiogenic shock or those undergoing high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Anticoagulation protocols in this population are not well established and are complicated by concomitant use of purge solutions containing unfractionated heparin (UFH) and intravenous UFH continuous infusion (CI) for systemic anticoagulation. Objectives: To evaluate thrombotic and bleeding complications when using a novel UFH protocol with a reduced initial UFH CI dose of 6 units/kg/hour targeting an anti-Xa goal of 0.3 to 0.5 units/mL in patients receiving Impella support. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 41 patients on Impella support who received an UFH purge solution and/or an IV UFH infusion. The primary outcome was overall composite bleeding. Secondary outcomes included thrombotic events and systemic UFH exposure. An exploratory analysis was performed to identify risk factors for bleeding. Results: Anti-Xa values were in therapeutic range 46% of the time while on support (interquartile range 16.6%-75%), with a median IV UFH dose of 6 units/kg/hour. The overall bleeding rate was 29.2%, with 6 minor bleeds and 2 major bleeds with no fatal bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage. Rate of overall thrombosis was 4.9%, including 1 ischemic stroke and 1 occurrence of limb ischemia. Conclusion: Use of a modified UFH protocol to target an anti-Xa goal of 0.3 to 0.5 units/mL resulted in bleeding and thrombotic event rates similar to previous literature. This protocol utilizing an initial rate of 6 units/kg/hour may be a useful approach to achieve therapeutic anticoagulation while accounting for UFH exposure from the purge solution and minimizing need for frequent calculations.

Developing a Comprehensive Framework of Safeguarding Strategies to Address Anticipated Errors With Organizational High-Alert Medications.

Purpose: To describe the development of a comprehensive framework of safeguarding strategies to address observed/anticipated errors with organizational high-alert medications. Methods: Observed/anticipated errors were identified for organizational high-alert medications and medication classes based on a review of external literature and alerts as well as internal voluntary error reporting. Anticipated or frequently reported errors were categorized into common cause error types. Error reduction strategies to address each common cause error were identified in collaboration with medication safety specialists and specialty practice pharmacists. Results: The review of externally and internally reported errors identified 101 observed/anticipated common cause errors across the 19 high-alert medication classes (median 5 error types per medication class, interquartile range 3-6). Safeguarding strategies specific to high-alert medications were identified in the following domains: separate or sequestered storage; restricted ordering; active alerts; dispensing in patient-specific dosing, unit of use, or unit-dose packaging; dispensing from pharmacy only; auxiliary labeling; level of care restriction; required monitoring; independent double checks; certification/privileging of staff; specific guidelines for use/monitoring; and other/miscellaneous. Identification of the observed/anticipated errors and the associated safeguarding strategies facilitated the development of a comprehensive tool and visual framework for addressing common cause errors associated with organizational high-alert medications. Conclusion: A comprehensive framework of safeguarding strategies to address anticipated errors with organizational high-alert medications is proposed. Although individual safeguards are institution-specific, the framework can be leveraged by all hospitals in order to take inventory of error-reduction strategies and prospectively identify gaps to address common cause errors.

Light-Sensitive Injectable Prescription Drugs-2022.

This chart is an update to the 2014 article published in Hospital Pharmacy on injectable drugs that require protection from light. To update the chart, an online search of the FDALabel database was performed from inception through July 31, 2022 using the terms "protect" OR "light." After filtering out drugs with non-injectable routes of administration, the list of generic drug names was combined with the 2014 list and duplicates were removed. The resulting list of drugs was then reviewed to determine whether the drugs require protection from light during storage, preparation, or administration. The reader should always consult the Food and Drug Administration-approved prescribing information for the most up-to-date information regarding the need for protection from light.

Implementation and Evaluation of a Prior Authorization Workflow for New-Start Inpatient Medications in Preparation for Discharge.

Purpose: Medications that require prior authorization can complicate the discharge planning process. This study implemented and evaluated a process for identifying and completing prior authorizations during the inpatient setting prior to patient discharge. Methods: A patient identification tool was developed within the electronic health record to alert the patient care resource manager of inpatient orders for targeted medications that frequently require prior authorization with the potential to delay discharge. A workflow process using the identification tool and flowsheet documentation was developed to prompt the initiation of a prior authorization, if necessary. Following hospital-wide implementation, descriptive data for a 2-month period was collected. Results: The tool detected 1353 medications for 1096 patient encounters over the 2-month period. The most frequent medications identified included apixaban (28.1%), enoxaparin (14.4%), sacubitril/valsartan (6.4%), and darbepoetin (6.4%). For the medications identified, there were 93 medications documented in the flowsheet data for 91 unique patient encounters. Of the 93 medications documented, 30% did not require prior authorization, 29% had prior authorization started, 10% were for patients discharged to a facility, 3% were for home medications, 3% were medications discontinued at discharge, 1% had prior authorization denied, and 24% had missing data. The most frequent medications documented in the flowsheet included apixaban (12%), enoxaparin (10%), and rifaximin (20%). Of the 28 prior authorizations processed, 2 led to a referral to the Medication Assistance Program. Conclusion: The implementation of an identification tool and documentation process can help improve PA workflow and discharge care coordination.

Evaluation of Detected Medication Errors Within the Operating Room at an Academic Medical Center.

Background: Medication errors are preventable events that lead to inappropriate medication use and potential patient harm. This is especially prevalent within the operating room (OR) where one practitioner is involved in the entire medication-use process. Despite recent implementation of BD Pyxis™ Anesthesia ES, Codonics Safe Label System, and Epic One Step at the University of Kentucky Healthcare (UKHC) to prevent medication errors, errors continue to be reported. Curatolo et al found human error was the most frequent cause of medication error within the OR. Clumsy automation may be an explanation for this, which imposes burdens and promotes work arounds. This study endeavors to assess potential medication errors via chart review to identify risk reduction strategies. Methods: This a single-center retrospective cohort review of patients admitted to a UK HealthCare Main Operating Room, defined OR1A-OR5A and OR7A-OR16A, who were administered medications from 8/1/2021 to 9/30/2021. Results: Over a 2-month period, 145 cases were conducted at UK HealthCare. Of the 145 cases, 98.6% (n = 143) involved a medication error and 93.7% (n = 136) of the errors involved a high-alert medication. The top 5 classes of drugs involved in errors were all high-alert medications. Lastly, 46.6% (n = 67) of cases had documentation that Codonics was utilized. In addition to analyzing medication errors, the financial analysis found that $3154.04 in drug cost was lost in the study period. When extrapolating these results to all BD™ Pyxis Anesthesia Machines at UK HealthCare, $107 237.36 of drug cost is potentially lost per year. Conclusions: These findings add to previous data that have described the increased rate of medication errors when conducting chart review rather than rely on self-reported data. In this study, 98.6% of all cases involved a medication error. In addition, these findings provide additional insight in the increased use of technology within the operating room despite medication errors still occurring. These results can be applied to like institutions to critically evaluate anesthesia workflow to determine risk reduction strategies.

Evaluation of Pharmacy Resident-Driven Medication Reconciliation on Patients at High Risk of Hospital Readmission.

Purpose: Pharmacists play a key role in preventing medication errors during transitions of care and preventing hospital readmissions through medication reconciliation (MR) programs. This study retrospectively evaluated the implementation of a standardized pharmacy residentdriven MR program for patients at high risk for readmission as defined by the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective cross sectional study of a pharmacy resident-driven MR program including patients at high risk of readmission defined by HRRP. The primary objective was to determine the number of inpatient regimen interventions identified during the MR. Secondary objectives include severity of interventions, number of medication discrepancies identified, types of interventions and discrepancies identified, and all-cause hospital readmission rates within 30 days of discharge.. Results: Fifty-three high-risk patients were included in the study. Pharmacy intervention recommendations were accepted by prescribers for nine patients (9/53; 17.0%) with a total of 13 accepted inpatient regimen interventions. The two most commonly identified medication classes for interventions were anticonvulsants (3/13; 23.1%) and antidepressants (6/13; 46.2%). Discrepancies on the admission MR were identified for 46 (46/53; 86.8%) patients with a median of three discrepancies per patient (interquartile range 2-4). The most common type of discrepancy was an incorrect or unnecessary drug. The 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 35.8% (19/53) for the total patient Conclusion: A pharmacy-resident driven MR program provided value in clarifying prior to admission medications and may help prevent drugrelated adverse events.

The Impact of Electronic Health Record Interventions on Patient Access to Post-Hospital Discharge Prescriptions.

Purpose: Assess the impact of electronic health record interventions on patient access to post-hospital discharge prescriptions. Methods: Five interventions were implemented in the electronic health record to improve patient access to prescriptions after discharge from hospital: electronic prior authorization, alternative medication suggestions, order sets, mail order pharmacy alerts, and medication interchange instructions. This was a retrospective cohort study of patient responses from discharges during 6 months before the first intervention implementation and 6 months after the last intervention implementation documented in the electronic health record and a transition-in-care platform. Primary endpoint was the proportion of discharges with patient-reported issues that would have been prevented by the studied interventions out of number of discharges with at least one prescription, analyzed using Chi-squared test (level of significance .05). Results: Discharges with patient-reported issues that would have been prevented by the studied interventions decreased from 1.68 to 1.07 out of 1000 discharges with prescriptions (P < .001). Conclusion: Interventions in the electronic health record reduced barriers faced by patients to picking up prescriptions post-discharge from hospital, potentially leading to improved patient satisfaction and improved health outcomes. Important factors to consider for electronic health record intervention implementation are workflow development and intrusiveness of clinical decision support. Multiple targeted electronic health record interventions can improve patients' access to prescriptions after discharge from hospital.

Evidence Based Scarce Resource Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Bamlanivimab Administration in the Emergency Department.

Background: Patients presenting for emergency department (ED) evaluation may be appropriate for treatment with monoclonal antibodies for mild to moderate COVID-19. While many sites have implemented infusion centers for these agents, EDs will continue to evaluate these patients where appropriate identification and efficient infusion of eligible patients is critical. Objectives: Patients receiving bamlanivimab in the EDs of an academic medical center are described. The primary objective was to describe operational metrics and secondary objectives reported clinical outcomes. Methods: Patients receiving bamlanivimab and discharged from the ED were included from November 16, 2020 to January 16, 2021 in the retrospective, observational cohort. Primary outcome was adherence to institutional criteria. Secondary outcomes included ED visit metrics, clinical characteristics, and return visits within 30 days. Risk factors for return visits were assessed with regression. Results: One hundred nineteen patients were included. Most (71%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the ED visit and median symptom duration was 3(IQR 2-5) days. Median number of risk factors for progression to severe disease was 2 (IQR 1-2). Thirty percent had a documented abnormal chest x-ray. Institutional criteria adherence was 99.2%. Median time from ED room to bamlanivimab was 4 (IQR 3.1-5.2) hours. Thirty patients had return visit within 30 days; 19 were COVID-19 related. Two multivariable regression models were analyzed for COVID-19 related return visit. Characteristics on ED presentation were considered in Model I: male gender (OR 3.01[0.97-9.31]), age (per 10 years) (OR 1.49[1.05-2.12]), African-American race (OR 3.46[1.09-11.06]), and symptom duration (per day) (OR 1.34[1.05-1.73]). Model II included labs and imaging acquired in ED. In Model II, age (per 10 years) (OR 1.52[1.07-2.16]) and abnormal CXR (OR 5.74[1.95-16.9]) were associated with COVID-19 related return visits. Conclusions: Administration of bamlanivimab to ED patients can be done efficiently, with the potential to reduce COVID-19 related return visits. Age and abnormal imaging were independent predictors of COVID-19 return visits.

Strategies to Enhance Patient Care and Compliance with Pain Order Duplications and Gaps.

According to the Joint Commission every patient has a right to pain management. Due to multimodal pain management, pain orders have the potential for duplication as well as gaps in therapy. At our institution, we evaluated pain orders and implemented strategies that aimed to reduce those gaps. We found that current ordering practices permitted the use of varying visual analog scale (VAS) ranges (e.g., VAS 1-3 and 1-5) which inherently increased the potential for duplicate therapies. When gaps in therapy occurred, medication orders for corresponding VAS scores were not available and thus, therapy was delayed. Additionally, current administration policies did not take into account patient preferences for less potent agents which can also cause a delay in care. In summary, simple strategies, discussed in this article, may be implemented at the hospital level to optimize patient care while maintaining recommendations by the Joint Commission for clear medication orders.

Development of a Pharmacist-Led Opt-Out Cessation Treatment Protocol for Combustible Tobacco Smoking Within Inpatient Settings.

Background: Although people who smoke cigarettes are overrepresented among hospital inpatients, few are connected with smoking cessation treatment during their hospitalization. Training, accountability for medication use, and monitoring of all patients position pharmacists well to deliver cessation interventions to all hospitalized patients who smoke. Methods: A large Midwestern University hospital implemented a pharmacist-led smoking cessation intervention. A delegation protocol for hospital pharmacy inpatients who smoked cigarettes gave hospital pharmacists the authority to order nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) during hospitalization and upon discharge, and for referral to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) at discharge. Eligible patients received the smoking cessation intervention unless they actively refused (ie, "opt-out"). The program was pilot tested in phases, with pharmacist feedback between phases, and then implemented hospital-wide. Interviews, surveys, and informal mechanisms identified ways to improve implementation and workflows. Results: Feedback from pharmacists led to changes that improved workflow, training and patient education materials, and enhanced adoption and reach. Refining implementation strategies across pilot phases increased the percentage of eligible smokers offered pharmacist-delivered cessation support from 37% to 76%, prescribed NRT from 2% to 44%, and referred to the WTQL from 3% to 32%. Conclusion: Hospitalizations provide an ideal opportunity for patients to make a tobacco quit attempt, and pharmacists can capitalize on this opportunity by integrating smoking cessation treatment into existing inpatient medication reconciliation workflows. Pharmacist-led implementation strategies developed in this study may be applicable in other inpatient settings.

The Second Wave of COVID-19: Clinical Pharmacy Services During a Field Hospital Operation.

The second wave of COVID-19 emerged in the late fall months in the state of Massachusetts and inadvertently caused a rise in the number of cases requiring hospitalization. With a field hospital previously opened in central Massachusetts during the Spring of 2020, the governor decided to reimplement the field hospital. Although operations were effectively accomplished during the first wave, the reimplementation of the field hospital came with its new set of challenges for operating a satellite pharmacy. Experiences gathered include new pharmacy operation workflows, the clinical role of pharmacy services, introduction of remdesivir treatment, and pharmacy involvement in newly diagnosed diabetes patients requiring insulin teaching. Pharmacy services were successful in adapting to the rapidly growing number in patients with a total of over 600 patients served in a course of 2 months.

Patient Access to Hepatitis C Treatment After Incorporation of Pharmacists in a Hepatology Clinic.

Background: Modern hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment regimens yield cure rates greater than 90%. However, obtaining approval for treatment through the prior authorization (PA) process can be time consuming and require extensive documentation. Lack of experience with this complex process can delay HCV medication approval, ultimately increasing the amount of time before patients start treatment and in some cases, prevent treatment altogether. Objectives: Assess the impact of incorporating clinical pharmacists into specialty pharmacy and hepatology clinic services on medication access, patient adherence, and outcomes in patients being treated for HCV. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort exploratory study of patients seen in an academic medical center hepatology clinic who had HCV prescriptions filled between 8/1/15 and 7/31/17. Patients were categorized by whether they filled prescriptions prior to (Pre-Group) or after (Post-Group) the implementation of a pharmacist in clinic. The Post-Group was further divided according to whether the patient was seen by a pharmacist in clinic (Post-Group 2) or if the patient was not seen by the pharmacist, but had their HCV therapy evaluated by the pharmacist before seeking insurance approval (Post-Group 1). Results: The mean time from the prescription being ordered to being dispensed was longer in the Pre-Group (50.8 ± 66.5 days) compared to both Post-Groups (22.2 ± 27.8 days in Post-Group 1 vs 18.9 ± 17.7 days in Post-Group 2; P < .05). The mean time from when the prescription was ordered to when the PA was submitted was longer in the Pre-Group (41.6 ± 71.9 days) compared to both Post-Groups (6.3 ± 16 in Post-Group 1 vs 4.1 ± 9.7 in Post-Group 2; P < .05). Rates of medication adherence and sustained virologic response were similar between all groups. Conclusion: Incorporation of clinical pharmacists into a hepatology clinic significantly reduced the time patients waited to start HCV treatment. In addition to improving access to medications, implementation of the model helped to maintain excellent medication adherence and cure rates.

Expansion of Pharmacy Services During COVID-19: Pharmacists and Pharmacy Extenders Filling the Gaps Through Telehealth Services.

Purpose: The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created a significant disruption in healthcare. In our health-system located in New York City, the provision of care in the ambulatory care setting moved to a remote model virtually overnight. We describe interventions made during the pandemic to transform ambulatory care pharmacy through expansion of telehealth services. Summary: In March of 2020, the closure of primary care clinics and provider appointment cancellations due to inpatient redeployment created a void. Collaboration with other health care providers and development of standardized telehealth workflows served as a conduit for creating new roles and opportunities for pharmacy team members. Three main interventions where the pharmacy team filled gaps include; (1) Expansion of pharmacist telemedicine visits for high-risk patients to improve access to primary care visits, (2) Partnership with nursing to create a centralized refill call center workflow, (3) Integration of pharmacy extenders into the prior authorization process to prevent medication access issues. Existing collaborative practice agreements for chronic disease management were utilized. A virtual pharmacist model for patient care contributed to an increase in telehealth visits from 51 in 2019 to 2997 total visits in 2020. In addition, the health-system refill call center expanded its services through collaboration with our pharmacy team. Pharmacists and pharmacy interns partnered with nurse practitioners to improve the call center workflow and address the significant increase in refill requests during the outbreak. Furthermore, a prior authorization process was created across multiple ambulatory care clinics to expedite medication access and prevent delays in therapy. Conclusion: Our ambulatory care pharmacy team leveraged technology, innovative workflows, and collaborative teamwork to catalyze a shift in pharmacists' and pharmacy extenders' roles in healthcare delivery to expeditiously meet patients' needs during a pandemic.

Exploring Cost Savings with Specialty Biologic Drugs Administered to Adult Inpatients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background: Specialty infusion and self-injectable biologic drugs for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are high-cost medications. When administered to hospital-admitted patients, these medications are not reimbursed on an individual basis but rolled into a per diem payment by most payers in the United States (US). Therefore, choosing to administer these medications in the inpatient setting may reveal negative financial implications for some health care institutions. Selecting an alternative site of care to administer these medications during the clinical management process may lead to cost savings. Objective: Review the clinical necessity of inpatient specialty biologic administrations for the treatment of IBD to identify and quantify potential cost saving opportunities. Methods: Using patient medical records at a US academic medical center, we retrospectively identified inpatient administrations of specialty infusion and self-injectable biologic medications for IBD treatment from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017. Guided by a standardized form, an evaluation team consisting of 3 of the investigators determined the clinical necessity of each specialty biologic medication administration within the inpatient setting. Costs and reimbursement rates for administration in both the inpatient and outpatient settings were procured and tabulated. Results: Seventeen inpatient specialty biologic administrations for IBD during the 12 month study period were identified. Of these, 11 administrations were given for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD) and 6 for ulcerative colitis (UC). The evaluation team determined that 65% of these administrations were clinically necessary as inpatient administrations, and that 35% were not. The sum of the wholesale acquisition costs (WAC) for clinically necessary inpatient biologic administrations totaled $54 737, and the WAC for those administrations deemed not clinically necessary totaled $43 702. Further analysis of administration events revealed that the institution could have realized an estimated $13 817 in additional revenue above the cost of the drug if eligible inpatient biologic administrations had been received in the institution's outpatient clinic setting instead. Conclusion: Administering specialty biologic drugs for the treatment of IBD in the care setting best aligned with existing reimbursement structures may lead to institutional cost savings.

Integration of the Codonics Safe Label System® and the Omnicell XT® Anesthesia Workstation into Pediatric Anesthesia Practice: Utilizing Technology to Increase Medication Labeling Compliance and Decrease Medication Discrepancies While Maintaining User Acceptability.

Background: Perioperative medication errors are recognized as a source of patient morbidity and mortality. Medication management systems with built-in scanning and label-printing functions that integrate with medication-dispensing cabinets have the potential to decrease medication administration errors by improving compliance with medication labeling. Whether these management systems will also improve periodic automatic replacement (PAR) inventory control and be accepted by users is unknown. We hypothesized that implementation of the Codonics Safe Label System®, an automated labeling system (ALS), would increase compliance with labeling guidelines and improve PAR inventory control by decreasing medication discrepancies while maintaining user acceptability in the OR. Methods: We audited a cohort of anesthesia workstations and electronic anesthesia records for 2 months to compare dispensed and administered medications and establish a discrepancy baseline. We also observed a convenience sample of syringes to evaluate labeling compliance. Post-implementation of the ALS, we repeated the audit. Finally, an anonymous survey was distributed electronically to providers to assess user acceptability. Results: Pre-implementation the average daily medication discrepancy rate was 9.7%, decreasing to 6.1% post-implementation (χ2 1 = 43.9; P < .0001). Pre-implementation 330 of 696 syringes (47.4%) were either missing a label or labeling elements. After implementation, 100% of all syringes received a label with the complete required labeling information (P < .0001). All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the system was easy to use, accurate, met their needs, printed labels quickly, improved safety and efficiency, and was recommendable. Conclusion: The ALS significantly increased the rate of best-practice-compliant medication labeling while reducing medication inventory discrepancies. The system was highly accepted by providers.

Evaluating Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia: Dispensing and Administration-2019.

Purpose: To evaluate the dispensing and administration processes in hospital settings in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. Method: A questionnaire based on the annual ASHP national survey was distributed among 35 hospitals. The response rate was 60%. After a follow-up period of 6 months, the final questionnaire was collected in November 2019. Result: The survey had a 60% response rate. Most surveyed hospitals have centralized pharmacies (76.2%). Few hospitals reported the use of the Bar Code Medication Administration BCMA system (19.0%) to verify doses during dispensing, and only 28.6% use automated dispensing cabinets. The main method to check unit doses in pharmacies is the "technician fills/pharmacist checks" method, as reported by 76.2% of hospitals. Conclusion: The new technologies in the field of healthcare are impacting the practice of medication distribution. Hospital pharmacies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia are implementing many changes to improve the medication-use system. However, more work has to be done to follow the leaders in the area of pharmacy practice.

Impact of Order-Set Modifications and Provider Education Following Guideline Updates on Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Use in Patients Admitted With Community Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: Following updates to the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) practice guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adults with Community-acquired Pneumonia in 2019, Hartford HealthCare implemented changes to the community acquired pneumonia (CAP) order-set in August 2020 to reflect criteria for the prescribing of broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy. The objective of the study was to evaluate changes in broad-spectrum antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) following these order-set updates with accompanying provider education. Methods: This was a multi-center, quasi-experimental, retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of CAP from September 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019 (pre-intervention) and September 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020 (post-intervention). Patients were identified using ICD-10 codes (A48.1, J10.00-J18.9) indicating lower respiratory tract infection. Data collected included demographics, labs and vitals, radiographic, microbiological, and antibiotic data. The primary outcome was change in broad-spectrum antibiotic DOT, specifically anti-pseudomonal ß-lactams and anti-MRSA antibiotics. Secondary outcomes included guideline-concordance of initial antibiotics, utilization of an order-set to prescribe antibiotics, and length of stay (LOS). Results: A total of 331 and 352 patients were included in the pre- and post-intervention cohorts, respectively. There were no differences in order-set usage (10% vs 11.3%, P = .642) between the pre- and post-intervention cohort, respectively. The overall duration of broad-spectrum therapy was a median of 2 days (IQR 0-8 days) in the pre-intervention period and 0 days (IQR 0-4 days) in the post-intervention period (P < .001). Patients in whom the order-set was used in the post-intervention period were more likely to have guideline-concordant regimens ([36/40] 90% vs [190/312] 60.9%; P = .003). Hospital LOS was shorter in the post-intervention cohort (4.8 days [2.9-7.2 days] vs 5.3 days [IQR 3.5-8.5 days], P = .002). Conclusion: Implementation of an updated CAP order-set with accompanying provider education was associated with reduced use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Opportunities to improve compliance and thus further increase guideline-concordant therapy require investigation.

Impacts of a Mail-Order Service for Refilling Prescriptions on Patient Satisfaction and Operational Load at a Comprehensive Cancer Center in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Mail-order services for refilling prescriptions for medications have been established in many countries and have increased patient satisfaction. We developed a mail-order service for the outpatient pharmacy of a comprehensive cancer center in Jordan. OBJECTIVE: To describe the implementation of a mail-order service and to report the impact of the service on patient satisfaction and the pharmacy workload. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team was formed to plan a mail-order service for refilling prescriptions for medications, and a survey was designed to evaluate patient satisfaction with the service. Patients were instructed to call the refill call center and order their medications at least 48 hours before their refill is due. The pharmacy workflow for refilling prescriptions was evaluated, and the time required with and without the mail-order service was documented, with a calculation of the time saved. RESULTS: At 1 year after the mail-order service had been established, 14 200 prescriptions had been refilled through the service, with the majority (97.5%) dispensed within 48 hours of the order time. As per the survey conducted with 219 patients, on the overall satisfaction, 69.4% reported being highly satisfied with the service and 27.9% reported being satisfied. The problems reported with the service were delay in arrival (n = 23, 10.5%), medication-related errors (n = 9, 4.1%), cash-related error (n = 1, 0.45%), improper storage condition (n = 1, 0.45%), and delivery to the wrong address (n = 4, 1.8%). The service was also associated with reduced overall time for processing in the outpatient pharmacy service; for patients receiving their medications from the pharmacy, resulting in reduced patients' overall waiting time (from 11.4 to 8.2 minutes). The service resulted in saving of 0.4 full-time employee at 1 year of implementation. CONCLUSIONS: A mail-order service for refilling prescriptions within a hospital setting had positive outcomes on both patient satisfaction and the pharmacy workflow. The major issues were related to transportation and logistics.