CHS Pharmacy News
July 2020
HolidayBusiness Hours
July 3rd: Normal Business Hours
July 4th: Normal Business Hours
Normal business hours are:
9 AM – 5:30 PM M-F
9 AM – 3 PM Saturday
Closed on Sunday
*Emergency services available 24/7/365
COVID-19 Nursing Home Data*
With the conclusion of May 2020, it was reported that approximately 13,600 nursing homes, which comprises 88% of the total US Medicare and Medicaid nursing homes, reported required data to the CDC. There were reported over 95,000 cases with almost 32,000 death. CMS is currently in the works to have data presented on a weekly basis.
For a quick overview of the nursing home COVID-19 data visit here: cms.gov
To view the Nursing Home COVID-19 data, visit here: cms.gov
Wound Healing – Clinical Practice**
“Chronic wounds were and are a financial and medical burden as the elderly population grows. The lack of uniformly accepted diagnostic methods to evaluate outcomes on clearly defined, comprehensive wound care standards makes the treatment and management of chronic wounds less likely to achieve optimal healing.”
Medication Errors***
“Medication errors are believed to be a systemic problem and most medication errors are common at the ordering or prescribing stage. Typical errors include the healthcare provider writing the wrong medication, wrong route or dose, or the wrong frequency. These ordering errors account for almost 50% of medication errors. Data shows that nurses and pharmacists identify anywhere from 30% to 70% of medication-ordering errors. It is obvious that medication errors are a pervasive problem, but in the majority of cases, the problem is preventable.”
Types of medication errors include: Prescribing, omission, wrong time, unauthorized drug, improper dose, incorrect administration route, monitoring errors, compliance errors. It is appropriate to complete a root-cause analysis to identify why the error was made and look to correct the system versus identifying an individual. It is important to verify and double check all order entry and calculations when inputting an order into the electronic health records or dispensing software.
Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives****
Handwashing helps prevent illness. It involves five simple and effective steps (Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry) to reduce the spread of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses. Regular handwashing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, and prevent the spread of germs to others. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it can keep us all from getting sick.
Returnable Medications
Certain forms of medications cannot be returned to the pharmacy for credit since they can only be used for one person once opened. These could include inhalers, eye drops, creams, ointments, liquids, insulins or controlled medications. Consider having the physician sign an order allowing the resident to take these medications with them upon discharge from the facility, providing the order is still active and appropriate.
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.”
*Press release Nursing Home COVID-19 Data and Inspections Results Available on Nursing Home Compare. (n.d.). Retrieved from cms.gov
**Clinical Practice Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2020, from woundhealingsocietyfoundation.org
***Tariq RA, Scherbak Y. Medication Errors. [Updated 2020 May 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-. Available from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
****Handwashing – Clean Hands Save Lives. (2019, October 8). Retrieved from cdc.gov