We've had a few issues rear up at my hospital recently. So, I have a couple of questions for the smartest group of people I know:

1) What type of notification process do you use at your facility when shortages occur? Do you have a Pharmacy bulletin or just coordinate with the specific affected department? Do you have any sort of formal policy? If anyone has something they could share, I'd be interested to read.

2) For those facilities using a CERNER EHR product, which medications are set up in your system to require a 2 person sign off or documentation for double check on the MAR? Does your facility require an independent double check for all medications, just high-alert medications, or only a selection of high-alert? And if so, which ones do you mandate an IDC for? Does anyone have a policy or procedure on this for your hospital that you teach at staff orientation?

3) For those facilities that use Pyxis, do you have the Clinical Data Categories activated for LASA and High Alert medications in all areas of the hospital? Are there any areas where these alerts are turned off (like OR, GI, General Surgery clinic, etc)?