Former FDA Chief Cites 5 Things To Watch On Drug Approvals and Keeping Drugs Safe
The just-departed commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration has concerns about plans to speed up drug approvals and dramatically reduce regulations at the agency, as advocated recently by President Donald Trump.
Achieving Real-Time Respiratory Depression Surveillance of Post-Surgical Patients
More hospitals and health systems are waking up to the risks of under-monitoring patients at risk for respiratory depression.
Do Not Let “Depo-” Medications Be a Depot for Mistakes
The problem: Today, several longstanding medications are available on the market with names that begin with the prefix “Depo-,” meaning they are administered via a depot injection that deposits the drug into localized tissue from which it is gradually absorbed by surrounding tissue.
HHS: $28 Billion Saved Through Patient Safety Efforts
Efforts to improve patient safety are paying off, according to a new Health and Human Services (HHS) department report.
Interoperability Preparedness: What Hospitals Can Do to Be Ready for Smart Pump-EMR Interoperability
Smart pump–EMR interoperability is the new standard of care for intravenous (IV) infusion therapy. The IV route of administration for medications often results in the most serious outcomes of medication errors.
Medication Reconciliation: Improve Compliance Across Healthcare Settings
Medication reconciliation continues to be a problem for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Medication errors can occur during the transition of patient care because of miscommunication of drug information.
CDC Study Shows Powerful Antibiotic Usage is Increasing
Although overall antibiotic usage in U.S. hospitals has remained steady, the rate of powerful, broad spectrum antibiotics has increased at a worrisome rate, according to CDC researchers. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reviewed antibiotic usage in hospitals between 2006 and 2012, pulling data from 300 acute care hospitals that provided data for more … Continued
Four Years After Fungal Meningitis Outbreak, Compound Pharmacy Safety Concerns Linger
In 2012, a fungal meningitis outbreak was linked to the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Massachusetts, that would eventually lead to more than 750 infections in 20 states and 64 deaths, according to the CDC. The publicized outbreak thrust compounded medicine into the public eye, prompting many facilities and states to review oversight … Continued
Opioid Crisis Response: ERs Launch Treatment Programs
Efforts go beyond treatment to recovery and ERs are increasingly offering patients who seek help for overdoses additional resources for drug addiction and recovery therapies.
Experts Push to Include Medication Indication on Prescription Labels
Boston physicians are leading an initiative that could eliminate errors and improve patient-centered care.