Does anyone have safe staffing guidelines (internal or published) for the number of pharmacists necessary to staff a hospital pharmacy (order verification/dispensing role) based on census numbers or bed numbers?

Do you flex your staffing numbers daily for census fluctuations (up/down)?

Does your ratio change for overnight coverage? If so, please elaborate.

I found a very general answer at ManagedHealthCareExecutive.com (from 1:50 to 1:100), but not really from ASHP, DNV, CMS, TJC, etc ... unless I'm missing it.

Thanks -
Chad

Our EHR has"malignant hyperthermia" as an option in the allergy list. However, this term is not coded to the drug library, so alerts won't fire if an order for succinylcholine, for example, would be entered.
Do you have MH as a selectable term on your allergy list?
If so, is MH coded to any drugs in the drug library?

We are looking at our “sleepers/z-drugs/etc” on our formulary. Currently we use melatonin (83% of our use), zolpidem (14% of our use - almost exclusively at 5mg doses), and temazepam (3% of use). We are considering suvorexant and Ramelteon in our review as well.

We are getting a lot of different feedback from our physicians, and the evidence that we have found doesn’t highly favor any of the agents in the hospital setting. Would you be willing to share your experience?

Our organization has treated approximately 30 patients with Remdesivir for a total of approximately 150 doses. To date we have had three infiltrations. They have all happened with the 100 mg/250 mL formulation given via peripheral line within the suggested rate of administration (30 minutes to 120 minutes).

Good afternoon,
Our NICU will be getting new enteral pumps (likely MedFusion 4000) which have the option to build an enteral library. Do any of you currently use an enteral library? I am having a hard time understanding the benefit since we historically run feedings as volume over time.
Thanks!
Stacie Ethington MSN, RN-BC
Medication Safety Nurse Specialist
Nebraska Medicine

Good morning!
Does anyone have experience with Equashield Closed System Transfer Devices? We just went live about 3 weeks ago and are experiencing challenges with primarily two of the products. One is with our CADD pumps--the female LL connector is causing leaks. Our second issue is with the Spike Adapter 1T splintering.

We have reported these issues to Equashield and they have been extremely supportive--we just wondered if anyone else has experienced challenges.

Thank you!
Connie

If an institution has dealt with the Surescripts medication history inaccuracies or if no actual patients, but reviewed process for if had to respond. Reviewing what we would for a potentially affected patient:
1. Review Surescripts medication claims listed
2. Verify if patients pharmacy(s) filled the listed Surescrips claims and/or medications in history list
3. Review EMR for any mention of outliers not validated by the aformentioned pathway

For those of you that do not have built-in computers in your patient rooms and that use a computer-on-wheels for barcode scanning during medication administration - how are your nurses handling medication administration for COVID-19 patients? Are they expected to bring the computer into the room and then completely disinfect the workstation before further use? If so - have you seen a drop in scanning compliance or any unsafe workarounds?

I have read ISMPs most recent article describing labeling and making sure they have meaning. I am struggling with getting more suggestions to add more labels to products. Do you place high alert stickers on argatroban? Bivalrudin? We do for heparin so it feels like we should for the others. Our EP lab uses two different concentrations of heparin and the staff are getting them mixed up. They are already labeled and the suggestion was to add another label.

Wondering what risk mitigation strategies other institutions have in place for citrate anticoagulation for CRRT? We are reviewing our process and are looking for input. Currently the medication is sent from pharmacy with a specific form that pharmacy and nursing fill out along with a MAR double check. Any information is appreciated, thank you!