Pharmacy Technology News

ScriptPro to Handle FDADrug DatabaseThe FDA has awarded ScriptPro acontract to provide a searchable drugdatabase for the agency's internal use.The database, which is based on thedrug information resource provided byScriptPro to support its pharmacy automationsystem, will include all prescriptionand OTC drug products available.

Features of the database include:

• High-quality drug and drug packageimages for onscreen productverification
• All versions of each drug released inthe market, including images, markings,and other descriptive elementsdistinguishing the National DrugCode versions
• Auxiliary warning labels applicable tothe products
• Drug-specific alerts including blackbox warning labels

ScriptPro's industry data resourceteam works closely with pharmaceuticaland OTC manufacturers to incorporatenew products and changes into thedatabase. The company will monitor theFDA's internal records and provide informationto keep FDA data current.

Boston Tracks Flu ShotVaccinations

Infectious disease specialists in Bostonhave a new way to track flu shots, aimedat eventually creating a citywide registryof individuals who have had a flu vaccination.

The Boston Public Health Commissionrecently launched a trial at its headquarters.Individuals who arrived for theirshot were given an identification braceletwith a bar code. Basic information,such as name, age, sex, and address,was entered into the patient trackingdatabase. The system also has the capabilityfor electronic records to track whoadministered the vaccine and whetherit was injected into the right or left arm,and the electronic record will be timestampedfor that day.

The data could be used to determinewhy some patients had to waitlonger than others to be vaccinated."When all is said and done," said JunDavantes, director of product managementat EMSystems, the company thatmakes the technology, "Boston will beable to identify where there are certainbottlenecks in the process and hopefullyimprove it the next time around."

Independent PharmaciesImplement PASS Rx

Independent pharmacies Prevo Drug Incand Person Street Pharmacy have implementedCentice Corp's PASS Rx at theirNorth Carolina?based pharmacies.

Traditionally, pharmacists have reliedon largely subjective manual checksbased on visual appearance. PASS Rxverifies the chemical composition ofdispensed oral solid drugs. Core computationalsensor and machine visiontechnologies confirm the accuracy of themajority of dispensed pharmaceuticalsin a matter of seconds.

At the Asheboro-based Prevo Drug Inc,PASS Rx is incorporated at the end of thefulfillment process. After a prescriptionis filled, the pharmacist will place thebottled medication in the PASS Rx system.The medication is verified, bagged,and prepared for the patient, ensuringdispensing accuracy by minimizingopportunities for error.

Raleigh-based Person Street Pharmacyalso has integrated PASS Rx as the finalstep in its workflow routine. By verifyingthe bottled prescription as the last stepin the fulfillment process, the pharmacistensures an uninterrupted flow of verifiedmedication directly to the patient.

Patient Safety InitiativesRecognized

Albert Einstein Healthcare Network andRep Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) were recognizedby 375 Philadelphia-area hospitalsand health care leaders at the recent2008 Annual Meeting of the DelawareValley Healthcare Council of the Hospitaland Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania(HAP).

The hospital received the 2008 DelawarePatient Safety Award for applyingthe concept of bundles—a practiceprimarily used for reducing centralline infections to prevent errors in themedication delivery cycle. Every prescriptionprocessed by the pharmacydepartment for Einstein's tertiary acutecare teaching hospital and subsidiarypractice sites was checked and signedoff on 4 times: twice during medicationorder entry and twice during medicationdispensing. Using this simple checklistapproach, the Einstein pharmacy teamreduced medication order entry errorsby nearly 40% between the first andsecond quarters of 2008. Dispensing andhigh-alert medication errors dropped>60% for the same time period. In recognitionof these achievements, The HealthCare Improvement Foundation awardedEinstein a $5000 grant to help supportfuture patient safety initiatives.

Rep Schwartz received the DelawareValley Healthcare Council of HAP's 2008Leadership Award for her work on legislationto improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery and the accuracy and safetyof the physician prescription processthrough the use of electronic prescribing(e-prescribing). The legislation givesphysicians who treat Medicare patientsa one-time payment toward the cost oftechnology needed for e-prescribing. Thebill also provides a 1% bonus for everyMedicare prescription a physician writeselectronically. Through Rep Schwartz'sdedication and perseverance, this legislationwas included in the MedicareImprovement for Patients and ProvidersAct of 2008.