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.
Primary Care Physicians Bench Themselves in Battle Over Opioid Crisis
Española, N.M. – For years, this town has withstood a torrent of opioid-related deaths, and now claims one of the highest rates of opioid overdoses in the country.
Paralyzed by Mistakes: Reassess the Safety of Neuromuscular Blockers in Your Facility
Problem: Neuromuscular blocking agents are high-alert medications because of their well-documented history of causing catastrophic injuries or death when used in error. These drugs are used during tracheal intubation, during surgery of intubated patients, and to facilitate mechanical ventilation of critically ill patients.
Nudge Helps Practices with Antibiotics
A new study finds programs that appeal to the competitive spirit of physicians are effective in getting them to reduce their incidence of prescribing unnecessary antibiotics.
Drug Diversion is Difficult to Identify, Impact on Patient Safety is Devastating
In October 2015, McKay-Dee Hospital in Utah revealed that as many as 4,800 people had been potentially exposed to hepatitis C (HCV) after a state investigation linked the same hepatitis genotype from a patient treated at the hospital to a nurse who was caught diverting drugs in 2014.
Opioid Prescribing May be Impervious to State Laws
Drug monitoring laws are on the rise, but their effectiveness in curbing the prescribed use of hydromorphone, oxycodone, and other narcotics for pain is unclear.
Drug Diversion: Partially Filled Vials and Syringes in Sharps Containers Are Key Source of Problems
Partially Filled Vials and Syringes in Sharps Containers Are Key Sources of Problems By the Institute for Safe Medication Practices A 36-year-old hospital care aide (nursing assistant) who had been diverting discarded drugs died after self-administering what she likely thought might be an opioid but was actually a neuromuscular blocking agent (Fayerman, 2016a-c). The aide … Continued
CDC: 30% of Outpatient Antibiotics Are Prescribed Inappropriately
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that approximately 30% of antibiotic prescriptions written in the outpatient setting were inappropriate. Researchers found that several common conditions contributed to the majority of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Forty-four percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were written to treat acute respiratory conditions, sinus infections, … Continued