Patient Medication Safety Resources Audit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prepared by: Hill & Knowlton

September 30, 2003

 

 

Resource Audit Table of Contents

 

Web Resources

            AHRQ…………………………………………………………….…………5

            American Academy of Pediatrics…………………………………………...7

            American Association of Health Plans……………………………………...7

            American College of Physicians……………………………………………        7

            American Geriatric Society…………………………………………………    8

            American Hospital Association…………………………………………….       8

            American Optometric Association………………………………………….            9

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists………………………….            10

            Arthritis Foundation………………………………………………………...     10

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology…….            10

            California Department of Consumer Affairs……………………………….   11

            Canada DIRC……………………………………………………………….   11

            Cardinal Health…………………………………………………………….       11

            Centers for Disease Control…………………………………………………11

Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging……………………………………….12

Consumer Healthcare Products Association………………………………..            12

Council on Family Health…………………………………………………..      12

Ethical Aspects of Clinical Error and Patient Safety ...……………………..13

            Drug Digest.org/Express Scripts ……………………………..…………….            13

            Food and Drug Administration…………………………………………….. 13

            Hanley-Hazelden Center at St. Mary’s …………………………………..…15

Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania………………….15

            Illinois Hospital Association……………………………………………….. 16

            Institute for the Advancement of Community Pharmacists…………………16

Institute for Healthcare Improvement…………………………………..….. 16

            Institute for Safe Medicine Practices………………………………………..17

            Institute of Medicine……………………………………………………….. 18

            Janssen Risperdal Medication Diary………………………………………...18

            Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations…………..18

            The Leapfrog Group……………………………………………………..…. 19

            McKesson Information Solutions………………………………………..…..19

            Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors………….…. 19

            Maryland Patient Safety……………………………………………………..20

            Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety…………………….………………...20

            National Academy for State Health Policy………………………………….21

            National Consumers League ……………………………………………….           21

            The National Council on Aging …………………………………………....            21

National Institute on Aging …………………………………………………22

National Institute on Drug Abuse……………………………………..…….22

            Older Women’s League ……………………………………………………    22

Ontario Pharmacists’ Association………………………………………..….22

            Peter Lamy Center (UMD)…………………………………………………            22 

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Integrity………………………………….….23

            Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force…………………………..….23

            Quality and Safety in Health Care……………………………………….…        24

            RxHub………………………………………………………………………            24

            Rx Intelligence…………………………………………………………..…. 24

            San Leandro Hospital……………………………………………………….25

            TREA Senior Citizen League………………………………………………            25

            United Healthcare………………………………………………………..…            25

            United Seniors Health Cooperative ……………………………………..…            26

United States Pharmacopeia………………………………………………..            26

            Veterans Administration……………………………………………………    26

            Vision Council of America …………………………………………………27

Wellmark/Blue Cross Blue Shield…………………………………….……            27

            World Health Organization…………………………………………………            27

            Women’s Heart Foundation……………………………………………..…            27

 

Current Initiatives

            American College of Clinical Pharmacy……………………………………29

            American Pharmaceutical Association…………………………………..…      29

            American Society for Health-System Pharmacists…………………………            30

            Baltimore County Department of Aging …………………………………...     33

CDC/FDA…………………………………………………………………...33    

Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare……………………………..…            33

            Marshfield Clinic/Marshfield Medical Research Foundation………………            34

            National Council on Patient Information and Education……………………34       

National Quality Forum…………………………………………………….            35

            Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America……………….…            35

UMD School of Medicine ………………………………………….            ……...            36

 

Past Initiatives

            AARP……………………………………………………………………… 37

            Aetna……………………………………………………………………..…            37

            Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality………………………………37

            Food and Drug Administration………………………………………..……            38

            Institute of Medicine…………………………………………………..……    38

            Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations…………            38

            National Council on Patient Information and Education………………...…            39

            National Institute on Drug Abuse………………………………………..…      39

            The National Patient Safety Foundation……………………………………        40

            World Health Organization…………………………………………………            41

 

 

Books

            The Pharmacist’s Guide to Your Medication………………………………            42

            Pills That Work, Pills That Don’t………………………………………..…      42

            Medication Safety and Cost Recovery…………………………………..…        42

            Without Prescription…………………………………………………….…  43

            The Handbook of Heart Drugs…………………………………………..…  43

            Complete Guide to Prescription & Nonprescription Drugs……………..…            43

            Coping With Medications……………………………………………….…        44

            First Do No Harm………………………………………………………..…      44

            The Family Prescription & Medication Guide…………………………..…  44

            Every Woman’s Pharmacy…………………………………………………            45

            The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs 2003………………………..…        45

            The Pill Book………………………………………………………….……            46

 

 

Surveys

            Summary Surveys…………………………………………………………...47

           

 

 

 

Web Resources

 

 

Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ)

 

Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety
http://www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/ptsafety/spotlight.htm

 

Medical Errors & Patient Safety
http://www.ahcpr.gov/qual/errorsix.htm

 

New Research Projects Awarded to Improve Patient Safety
http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/newgrants

1. Supporting demonstration projects to report medical errors data

2. Using computers and information technology to prevent medical errors

3. Understanding the impact of working conditions on patient safety

4. Innovative approaches to improving patient safety

5. Dissemination of research results

6. Additional patient safety research programs

 

 

 

Quality Indicators
http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/

·        Offers hospitals online access to measures of patient care quality-quality indicators-developed by AHRQ. Tools consist of downloadable software and user guides, and are free of charge, but require the use of SAS or SPSS software  (commercially available statistical programs)

·        Three sets of indicators offered at this site: Inpatient Quality Indicators, Patient Safety Indicators, and Prevention Quality Indicators.

·        The Inpatient Quality Indicators tool measures "inpatient mortality for certain procedures and medical conditions, utilization of procedures for which there are questions of overuse, underuse, or misuse, and volume of procedures for which there is evidence that a higher volume of procedures is associated with lower mortality."

·        The Patient Safety Indicators tool is a set of measures that use secondary diagnosis codes to detect 26 types of adverse events, such as complications of anesthesia, blood clots in the legs or lungs following surgery, fracture following surgery, and four types of birth-related injuries. Six of the measures can be calculated as either hospital-level or area-level indicators

·        The Prevention Quality Indicators tool is a set of measures "that can be used with hospital inpatient discharge data to identify 'ambulatory care-sensitive conditions.' These are conditions for which good outpatient care can potentially prevent the need for hospitalization or for which early intervention can prevent complications or more severe disease."

 

WebM&M: Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web
http://www.webmm.ahrq.gov/

 

 

 

 

American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/policy/re060027.html

Patient-safety principles adopted by the American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP):

·        Drug dose calculation errors, which are determined by weight and typically involve more calculations than in adults.

·        The lack of drug testing for pediatrics use.

·        Limited capacity for cooperation in pediatric patients

·        The rarity of many pediatric illnesses.

·        Children's reliance on others for medications

 

 

 

American Association of Health Plans

http://www.aahp.org/Content/ContentGroups/Reports_Fact_Sheets/Reports_Fact_Sheets_Briefs_(after_2_2003)/Pharmacy_Prgms.pdf

 

Report entitled “Health Plan Pharmacy Programs: A Focus on Patient Safety, Quality, and Access”

·        Highlights the positive effects of health plan programs on patient health and safety. Emphasis is placed on:

·        Reducing adverse drug reactions

·        Avoiding medication dosage errors

·        Promoting patient compliance

·        Addressing potential substance abuse problems

·        Notifying physicians and patients about FDA warnings and alerts

 

 

 

American College of Physicians (ACP) – American Society of Internal Medicine (ASIM)
http://www.acponline.org/ptsafety  
 

 



American Geriatric Society

http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/pef/over_the_counter_drugs.php

 

·        Article in the American Geriatric Society’s Patient Education Forum section of web site, entitled “Over-the-counter and Prescription Drugs”

·        Provides very basic information on the differences between prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs.

·        Has answers to frequently asked questions and links for further information

 

 

 

American Hospital Association (AHA)
http://www.hospitalconnect.com/aha/key_issues/patient_safety
 

 

 

 

 

American Hospital Association (AHA) Medication Safety Series ‘03

Medication Safety Issue Briefs are designed to help senior management take concrete steps to reduce errors in their hospitals.  The series is a joint project of the AHA’s Quality Agenda, the ASHSP, Hospitals and Health Networks, and Aventis.

 

American Hospital Association (AHA) Medication Safety Series ‘01

Medication Safety Issue Briefs are a joint project of the AHA’s Quality Agenda, the ASHSP, Hospitals and Health Networks, and McKessonHBOC

·        Creating a Culture of Safety includes information and case studies from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Veterans Health Administration.

·        Using Automation to Reduce Errors includes information about the potential of technology to prevent medication errors, as well as case studies from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Children’s Hospitals of Minneapolis, and offers additional web sites and articles as resources.

·        Asking Consumers for Help focuses on enlisting patients to prevent medication errors, and includes case studies from University of Colorado Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital

·        Using a System-wide Approach explains how hospitals are using a systems approach to analyze errors and improve patient safety, and includes case studies from St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center

·        Crucial Role of Therapeutic Guidelines explores role of therapeutic guidelines in ensuring safe and consistent medical care, and includes case studies from New York Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Medical Center.

·        Finding and Using Resources provides resources on patient safety and discusses how they can be used best, and includes case studies from Sentara Healthcare, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, and Trinity Health.

 

 

 

American Optometric Association

www.aoanet.org

·        This site include a pamphlet entitled “Use your Head and Your Eyes” with tips on careful reading of medicine labels

 

 

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) http://www.ashp.org/patient-safety
 

This site is devoted to providing resources to support "fail-safe medication use in health systems through the leadership of pharmacists." Sponsored by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the site offers:

 


 

Arthritis Foundation

www.arthritis.org

·        This site includes a pamphlet titled “Medications: Using them Wisely” on proper medication use and how and why medications are used.

 

 

 

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Patient Safety Resources
http://www.apic.org/safety
 

·         January 2003 issue of Perspectives on Patient Safety, which focuses on compliance with the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals; and a succinct one-page "backgrounder" on patient safety initiatives in the U.S.

 

 

 

California Department of Consumer Affairs

http://www.dca.ca.gov/press_releases/20021021_pharmacy.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Canada DIRC

http://www.dirc-canada.org

 

 

 

 

Cardinal Health

http://www.hctproject.com

 

 

 

 

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip
 

 


 

Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging

http://www.medcohealth.com

 

·        The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, sponsored by Medco Health Solutions, established “Ask the Pharmacist,” a public service program for senior and community groups.

·        Program offers tips on safe use of medications at free sessions at senior, civic and religious institutions.

·        Medco gives out “Medication Guidebook for Healthy Aging” to all attendees.  This is a large print reference guide to educate older adults, their caregivers about various aspects of the prevalent health conditions and treatments they may face as they age. 

 

 

 

Consumer Healthcare Products Association

www.ndmainfo.org

 

Nonprescription Medicines: Modern Medicines for Mature Americans

·        Pamphlet  developed with the National Council on the Aging- contains key messages for older people to keep in mind when using prescriptions

 

To Your Good Health

·        Booklet addressing interactions, packaging, tampering, labeling, and common OTC related terms

 

Why you Should Open Your Eyes Before You Open Your Mouth: Medicine Works Best When you Read the Label First

·        Pamphlet providing safety measures for buying and taking medications properly

 

 

 

Council on Family Health

www.cfhinfo.org

 

How to Prevent Drug Interactions

·        Brochure on medication safety and food interactions

 

Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Americans

·        Booklet to help older Americans take active role in their health care and managing medications

 

 

 

Ethical Aspects of Clinical Error and Patient Safety
http://www.medicalerrors.ca/
 

·        Ethics and medical errors. Offers links to specific articles that view medical errors and patient safety issues as ethical issues. Reflecting the site's Canadian origin and international focus, contributions come from sources such as the British Medical Journal, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the Archives of Internal Medicine, and the New England Journal of Medicine.

·        Institutes' reports. Links include reports produced by the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, the Food and Drug Administration, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and the Institute of Medicine. One FDA report, for example, is titled Minimizing Medical Product Errors: A Systems Approach.

 

 

Drug Digest.org/Express Scripts

www.drugdigest.org

·        Drug Digest is a noncommercial, evidence-based, consumer health and drug information site dedicated to empowering consumers to make informed choices about drugs and treatment options.

·        Includes a variety of consumer-friendly web services to help people better understand the efficacy, pricing and safety associated with their medications. Services include:

o       Comprehensive Drug Library – drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements

o       Drug Interaction Checker – the most widely used section of the site

o       Drug Comparison – drug efficacy, ingredient and side-effect comparison

o       Conditions & Treatments – information on many health conditions and treatment options

o       Health highlights and news – includes breaking news

 

 

 

 

 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

www.fda.gov

 

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/MedErrors/default.htm

·        An introduction which defines the causes of medication error as relating to "professional practice; procedures and systems for prescribing and order communication; product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature; compounding; dispensing, distribution, and administration; education; monitoring; and use."

·        A brief list of drug products recently associated with reported medication errors

·        Links to medication error reports and articles

·        Information on drug-related federal regulations and guidelines

·        Advice on how to report medication errors.

·        Links to internal FDA resources such as FDA Patient Safety News and the Drug Topics FDA Safety Pages, and to sites of other organizations such as the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.

·        Consumer Education- http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/DPAdefault.htm

·        Lists many medication safety campaigns, updated frequently

 

Consumer Magazine

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/303_meds.html

·        Article May/June 2003 – Strategies to Reduce Medication Errors

 

FDA Proposes Bar Codes for Drugs, Blood; New Adverse Reaction Reporting
http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/barcode-sadr

·        Explores the proposals on bar codes for drugs and blood, and for new adverse reaction reporting mechanisms. Included on the site are a variety of press releases, fact sheets, FAQs, and Federal Register documents.

·        Fact sheet that outlines some broader FDA patient safety programs, including automatic data collection, safety partnerships with other entities, and enhanced communication on safety issues through emerging vehicles such as Web notification systems. Two pilot FDA programs for real-time transmission of safety data are described: Connecting for Health, an electronic data interchange system that allows providers to share safety data confidentially with the FDA; and MedSun, a Web-based system that allows providers to share information with the FDA on problems they identify with medical devices

 

MedWatch
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html

·        "Internet gateway for timely safety information on drugs and medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration."

·        Clarifies the nature of adverse events.

·        Makes it easier for healthcare providers and consumers to report serious events by offering an avenue and guidance for voluntary and mandatory reporting, including downloadable forms.

·        Communicates safety-related information via safety alerts, and reports on medication errors, drug shortages, biological product safety, labeling changes, and recalls and withdrawals. Site users can stay up-to-date on this information automatically by subscribing to the MedWatch E-list listserv.

·        MedWatch site has helped to identify serious events that follow drug use through its reporting system, and to alert clinicians and consumers about these risks.

 

 

 

Hanley-Hazelden Center at St. Mary’s

www.hazelden.org

 

·        Site contains booklet titled “How to talk to an Older Person Who has a Problem with Alcohol or Medications” for family caregivers who may are concerned about relative abusing alcohol or medications

 

 

 

Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania (HAP)
http://www.haponline.org/quality/safety
 

·        The site first summarizes highlights of the Mcare Act, which addresses the reduction of medical errors and improvement of patient safety by:

·        Establishing a state patient safety authority and patient safety trust fund.

·        Requiring medical facilities in the state to develop and comply with internal patient safety improvement plans.

·        Requiring reporting of serious events/incidents, subject to confidentiality guidelines, plus provision of written notification to any affected patients.

·        And requiring patient safety discounts under medical malpractice insurance.

·        A power point presentation on "Creating a Culture of Safety" in line with the Act.

·        A preliminary guide to implementing the Act's patient safety provisions.

·        A summary of projects undertaken by the new 26-organization Pennsylvania Patient Safety Collaborative to achieve safety leadership and cultural change, establish best and innovative practices, and develop a Web-based communication and information exchange at http://www.papatientsafety.net.

·        Resources organizations can use to implement the safety provisions, such as a safety-readiness self-assessment.

 

 

 

Illinois Hospital Association

http://www.ihatoday.org/public/patsafety

 

Focused on providing hospitals with information and tools to support their medical error prevention efforts, and informing the public about safety issues

·        Coverage of current legislative and policy events, such as the Joint Commission's patient safety goals for the year

·        A collection of safety-improvement case study "Conference Call" presentations with resource materials/tools developed by Illinois hospitals, in power point and text formats.

·        Brief summaries of safety-improvement efforts, achievements, and recognitions by Illinois hospitals

·        Links to important safety alerts from sources such as the FDA and Joint Commission.

·        An annotated calendar of upcoming live and virtual safety-related "educational" programs, seminars, and conferences both national and regional.

·        Links to a select collection of safety-related resources and Web sites for consumers.

·        A generous collection of links to safety-related "clinical resource tools" on key subjects of current concern, such as the AHA Guide to Computerized Physician Order-Entry Systems

·        Clinical resource tools, safety technology profiles, member perspectives, a list of safety reporting and quality collaboratives, legislation, government reports, grant opportunities, and safety links.

·        Links to resources on "safety technology."

·        Information on performance improvement, safety reporting, and quality collaboratives

 

 

 

Institute for the Advancement of Community Pharmacy

http://www.advancepharmacy.org/new/pateint_safety.html

 

 

 

 

Institute for Healthcare Improvement
http://www.ihi.org/resources/patientsafety

 

Provides links to a small collection of patient-safety improvement resources developed by the California-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

1. Reduction of adverse drug events

2. Fall prevention

3. Prevention of iatrogenic infections.

 

 

 

Institute for Safe Medicine Practices (ISMP)

www.ismp.org

 

Nonprofit organization that works with healthcare practitioners and institutions, regulatory agencies, professional organizations and the pharmaceutical industry to provide education about adverse drug events and their prevention

·        Provides independent review of medication errors that have been voluntarily submitted by practitioners to a national Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP) operated by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) in the USA. Information from the reports may be used by USP to impact on drug standards. All information derived from the MERP is shared with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) and pharmaceutical companies whose products are mentioned in reports.

·        An FDA MEDWATCH partner 

 

Activities Include:

 

Additional Information:

·        Videotape:  Preventing Medication Errors Through Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (1993). Produced in cooperation with the Center for Proper Medication Use, Philadelphia, PA

·        Student Rotations/ Fellowship programs

 

 

 

Institute of Medicine
http://www.iom.edu/IOM/IOMHome.nsf/ Pages/Quality+Initiative

 

Quality Initiative

·        The subjects of current studies include:

·        Guidance for development of patient safety data standards

·        Identification of priority areas for quality improvement

·        Evaluation of selected federal healthcare quality activities

·        Guidance for design of a national healthcare disparities report

 

 

 

Janssen Risperdal Medication Diary

http://www.risperdal.com

 

 


 

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/patient+safety/index.htm
 



 

The Leapfrog Group
http://www.leapfroggroup.org/
 



 

McKesson Information Solutions

http://infosolutions.mckesson.com

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors
http://www.macoalition.org/
 

·        Projects to date, and associated publications, include:

·        Reducing medication errors in acute care and long term care facilities

·        Improving patient safety related to restraint and seclusion use in hospitals and long term care facilities

·        Educational forums on best practices for communicating unanticipated outcomes and medical errors, improving outcomes in adult cardiac surgery and ICU services, and improving medication safety.

·        Publications relating to reduction of medication errors, for example, include two best practice documents, a guide for patients, and safety tips for clinicians. The tip sheets focus on specific issues such as wrong-route errors, improved prescribing and order writing, errors in transcription, and look-alike, sound-alike medications.

 

 

 

Maryland Patient Safety
http://www.marylandpatientsafety.org/
 

The Maryland Patient Safety Web site showcases regional patient safety initiatives and disseminates knowledge as a public service for healthcare consumers, providers, and policymakers. It is produced for the Maryland/DC Patient Safety Coalition by the Delmarva Foundation, a nonprofit quality-improvement services contractor. Features include:

·        Rules for building a patient safety culture. For example, organizations must move away from individual blame for errors, programs should be in place to maximize human performance, the majority of errors can be tracked to system failures, and safety is better achieved by breaking "invisible walls" of territory, silence, and fear that separate professionals from each other and from patients.

·        Safety guidelines for consumers. Examples are to make sure you can read and pronounce any prescription when you get it from the doctor, make sure your doctor knows if you have any allergies or adverse reactions, and make sure you understand the directions on your medicine label.

·        Information on successful safety practices and developments for providers. This consists mostly of materials from Delmarva's Excellence in Patient Safety Summit, April 2002. Also offered are conference presentations in PowerPoint format, news alerts, and features from sources such as the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR).

 

 

 

Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS)
http://www.mnpatientsafety.org/
 

·        Two brochures, “Redefining the Culture for Patient Safety” and “Patient Safety: Your Role.”

·        “Redefining the Culture for Patient Safety” describes the main concepts of how accidents occur and how by changing our landscape, we can help create a culture where accidents are discussed and analyzed openly, objectively and honestly.

·        “Patient Safety: Your Role,” is a resource to engage patients actively in their health care.  It is an educational tool that outlines questions and concerns patients should address to their family, physicians or nurses, both at the hospital and clinic. 




National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
http://www.nashp.org/index.cfm
 

·        Cost Implications of State Medical Reporting Programs: A Briefing Paper (http://www.nashp.org/ Files/GNL44_Patient_Safety_Coalitions.pdf), which highlights how and why to start a patient safety coalition.

·        And Patient Safety and Medical Errors: A Roadmap for State Action (http://www.nashp.org/ Files/GNL37_Patient_Safety__Roadmap.pdf), which focuses on what state policy leaders can do to prevent medical errors.

 

 

 

National Consumer’s League

www.nclnet.org

 

·        Brochure titled “Food and Drug Interactions” with info on interactions between common OTC and prescription medications and food, alcohol and caffeine.

 

 

 

 

The National Council on the Aging

www.ncoa.org

 

·        “Don’t Mix and Match your Medications”- A program with tips on safe medication use (emphasis on interactions)

 

 

 

 

National Institute on Aging

www.nih.gov/nia

 

Medicines: Use Them Wisely

·        General info for seniors on managing medications

 

Talking with your Doctor: A Guide for Older People

·        Brochure with tips on communication with physicians

 

 

 

National Institute on Drug Abuse

 

·        Special focus on misuse of prescription drugs by older adults, mainly due to low compliance with dosage directions

 

 

 

Older Women’s League

www.owl-national.org

 

·        Brochure titled “What every Woman Should Know: A Guide to Nonprescription Medicines for Midlife and Older Women”- focuses on OTC medication

 

 

 

Ontario Pharmacists’ Association

http://www.opatoday.com/public/seniors.asp

 

The Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA) sponsors the Seniors’ Safe Medication Use Program along with the Ontario government and Aventis Pharma Canada.

 

 

 

The Peter Lamy Center for Drug Therapy and Aging (UMD)

www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/lamy/

 

·        Resources for Seniors including

§         Aging and your Response to Medicine

§         Did you Remember to Ask?

§         Eye Medicines

§         How to Select Your Pharmacy and Pharmacist

§         Medicines and Travel

§         OTCs

§         Personal Medicine Record

§         Home Safety Issues: Poison Prevention

§         Questions you may Have About Generic Medications

§         Vitamins are not Enough

§         Alcohol: Friend of Foe?

§         The Caregiver’s Guide to Using Medicines

 

 

 

Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Integrity

http://www.iirusa.com

 

 

 

 

Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force

http://www.quic.gov/report/toc.htm

 

·        Task force established by President Clinton in 1998

·        Published report entitled “Doing What Counts for Patient Safety: Federal Actions to Reduce Medical Errors and Their Impact”

·        Clinton requested report in response to the Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report on medical errors – asked for specific action items to reduce medical errors

·        Four chapters include:

·        Understanding Medical Errors

·        Federal Response to the IOM Report

·        Beyond the IOM Report: Identifying and Implementing Additional Strategies

·        Working with the Private Sector and State Governments

·        Recommends actions to build public awareness of medical errors, build purchasers’ awareness of the problem, work with providers to improve patient safety, use decision-support systems and information technologies, and use standardized procedures, checklists and the results of human factors research.

 

 

 

Quality and Safety in Health Care
http://qhc.bmjjournals.com/
 

 

 

 

RxHub

http://rxhub.net/about.html

 

This site offers information about RxHub and its products.  RxHub electronically routes up-to-date patient medication history and pharmacy benefit information to physicians in their offices and at hospitals to improve patient safety.

·        Mission is to improve patient safety through electronic connectivity between payers, physicians and pharmacies.

·        Offers the following products:

·        RxHub PRN (Physicians Reducing Negative Events) provides physicians in the ambulatory setting with patient-specific medication history and pharmacy benefit information.  Prescriber can access prescription coverage information from participating payers and PBMs using a computer, PDA or paper print-out.

·        RxHub SIG (Script Information Gateway) provides direct, electronic delivery of new prescription from a prescriber to pharmacy.

·        RxHub MEDS (Medication and Eligibility Delivery Solution) provides physicians with access to medication history in inpatient setting.

 

 

 

RX Intelligence

http://www.rxintelligence.com

 

 

 

 

San Leandro Hospital, San Leandro, CA

www.sanleandrohospital.com/hlth/patient.html

 

 

 

 

 

TREA Senior Citizen League

www.tscl.org/NewContent

 

·        Organization’s mission is to promote and assist members and supporters, to educate and alert senior citizens about their rights and freedoms as U.S. citizens, and to protect and defend the benefits senior citizens have earned and paid for

·        1,313,935 active members/supporters

·        Online references including:

·     Time for a Medicine Cabinet Checkup?

·     Drug Interactions: A Word to the Wise

·     How to Read Over-the-Counter (OTC) Label

·     Buying Prescription Medicines Online???

·     Medicare Beneficiaries and Internet Pharmacies

 

 

 

United Healthcare

http://www.unitedhealthcare.com

 

 

 

 

United Seniors Health Cooperative

www.ushc-online.org

 

·        Special report “Aging and Health: The Role of Self Medication”- information on seniors and self-medication including usage, trends, costs, benefits, and the importance of information

 

 

United States Pharmacopeia (USP)

http://www.usp.org

 

·        Provides brochure “Just Ask!…About Proper Medicine Use.”  The brochure discusses general information about the use of medicines, what you need to know, properly storing your medicines, what you should do about side effects.

·        “Ten ways consumers can help ensure that medication errors are avoided” document.

·        Have USP Safe Medication Use Expert Committee, as a formal constituent of the standards-setting process.  They also analyze medication error data to determine priority areas such as CPOE, imprint and bar codes, errors in non-hospital settings, etc.  Ex-officio member of NCCMERP.

 

 

 

Veterans Administration (VA)
http://www.va.gov/ncps
 

·        National Patient Safety Coalition- Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) serves patient safety managers in some 170 VA hospitals.

·        Focus is on error prevention; process design that supports or enhances human performance (human factor design); lessons learned from research done in high-reliability industries such as aviation and nuclear power; creating a culture of safety; and the principles of root cause analysis, which is a process used by teams at each of the VA hospitals to "formulate solutions, test, implement, and measure outcomes in order to improve patient safety." The teams' findings are shared across the VA system.

·        Section on the culture of safety describes a philosophy of "prevention, not punishment," dictated by the statement: "We don't believe people come to work to do a bad job or make an error, but given the right set of circumstances, anyone can make a mistake."

·        Includes a discussion room, library, newsletters, handbooks, papers, and publications. Also featured is information on creating a culture of safety; an explanation of root cause analysis with a glossary of related terms; information on important safety topics; and a reading room focused on safety resources, human factor analysis, library resources, and medical resources on the Net.

 

 

 

Vision Council of America

www.visionsite.org

 

·        Fact sheet titled “Have you Seen This?”- discusses how medications can affect vision in unwanted ways

 

 

Wellmark/Blue Cross Blue Shield
http://www.advancerx.com
 

 

 

 

World Health Organization (WHO)  /Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy

http://www.who.int/medicines/organization/par/briefing/8safety.ppt

 

·        Produced “safety issues of drug use” for WHO/EDM Technical Briefing Seminar, October 2002

·        Main focus is on worldwide regulation of prescription drug safety, national drug policies, access, quality and safety and rational use.

 

 

 

Women’s Heart Foundation

http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/content/Outreach/programs_Medication_Safety.asp

 

·        How to store, secure, manage, and organize pills

·        Understanding difficulties that may arise in identifying new pills introduced, whether they be generics or brand names pills that look alike but are different

·        The importance of reporting side-effects promptly

·        Obtaining / requesting drug information sheets from the pharmacist

·        Reading labels on medicine bottles carefully and paying attention to precautionary stickers

·        Being cautious when combining drugs and herbals and the necessity of discussing this first with your doctor and pharmacist

·        Taking extra precautions during transitional care

·        The necessity of good, ongoing communication with your prescribing practioners and your pharmacist about what drugs and supplements you are currently taking including other-the-counter medicines, supplements and birth control pills.

·        Provides links to medication safety organizations, federal agencies, magazine articles and other sites related to medication safety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Initiatives

 

 

American College of Clinical Pharmacy
www.accp.com

 

Pharmacotherapy Self-Assessment Program (4th edition)

 

Contact:
Kristin Povilonis
kpovilonis@accp.com

(816) 531-2177
 
Project Description:
Comprehensive, modular-based home-study program that updates and assesses pharmacotherapy knowledge in 19 therapeutic areas.

Project Status:  Current Ongoing

Current Partners: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Desire Additional Partners?  Yes.
Promote PSAP use by their members.

 

Updates in Therapeutics
 
Contact:
Peggy Kuehl
pkuehl@accp.com
(816) 531-2177
 
Project Description:

Web-based updates on more than 60 therapeutic topics in pharmacotherapy, psychiatry, oncology, and nutrition support.

Project Status:  Current Ongoing
Current Partners: None
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes
Promote use by their members.

 

 

 


American Pharmaceutical Association (American Pharmacists Association 4/2/03)

www.aphanet.org


Maximizing the pharmacist’s role in risk management

 

Contact:
Susan Winckler
swinckler@APhAnet.org
(202) 429-7533

Project Description:
Exploring use of a performance-based group of pharmacists and pharmacies to improve risk management initiatives.

Project Status:  Planned and Will Start Within a Year
Current Partners: None
Desire Additional Partners? Yes
Academia, industry, other health professional organizations

 

 

 

American Society for Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
www.ashp.org

 

ASHP – AHA Medication Safety Issue Briefs

 

Contact:
Kasey K. Thompson
kthompson@ashp.org
(301) 657-3000 x 1270

Project Description:
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Center on Patient Safety, and the American Hospital Association Collaborated on a series of six Medication Safety Issue Briefs. This series was published in the AHA publication Hospitals and Health Networks. The intended audiences are hospital administrators. The topics were as follows: Creating a Culture of Safety; Using Automation to Reduce Errors; Asking Consumers for Help; Using a System-wide Approach; Crucial Role of Therapeutic Guidelines; and Finding and Using Resources.

Project Status: Current Ongoing
Current Partners: American Hospital Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Funding provided by McKesson HBOC
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes

 

 

Medication Safety Officer

 

Contact:
Kasey K. Thompson
kthompson@ashp.org
(301) 657-3000 x 1270

 

Project Description:
The goal of this project is to develop a job description for a health system Medication Safety Officer. It is envisioned that the health system Medication Safety Officer would coordinate, and oversee all aspects of safety and quality in the medication-use process. The project includes three distinct phases. In Phase I ASHP educational design experts conducted a task analysis of individuals currently working as hospital / health system Medication Safety Officers. Experts from medicine, pharmacy, human factors, and epidemiology will analyze data from the task analysis to design an idealized job description. In phase II research will be done to test the effectiveness of someone performing the proposed tasks in a hospital / health system setting to determine if safety is, in fact, improved. In Phase III education will be developed to train individuals to become health system Medication Safety Officers.

Project Status: Current Ongoing
Current Partners: ASHP Research and Education Foundation
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes
Primarily in the research, and educational development phases. Interdisciplinary collaboration on this project is key to its success.

 

General Principles for the Purchase and Safe Use of Computerized Prescriber-Order Entry Systems

Contact:
Kasey K. Thompson
kthompson@ashp.org
(301) 657-3000 x 1270


Project Description:
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Center on Patient Safety developed a list of suggestions and questions to consider before purchasing a computerized prescriber-order entry (CPOE) system. This list, while not exhaustive, is intended as a tool to support the immediate need to act on this issue.


Project Status:  Current Ongoing
Current Partners:  None
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes
They are currently seeking feedback on this document in the interest of strengthening its value for hospitals and health systems to use as tool when considering the purchase of a prescriber order entry system.
 


ASHP Therapeutic Position Statement on the Safe Use of Niacin in the Management of Dyslipidemias

Contact:

Cynthia LaCivita, PharmD
clacivita@ashp.org
(301) 657-3000 x 1210

 

Project Description:
ASHP Therapeutic Position Statement are concise statements that respond to therapeutic issues of concern to health care providers and health care consumers. The revision of this document will be developed through the guidance of the ASHP Commission on Therapeutics and must be approved by the ASHP Board of Directors. The focus of this document is to revise and update the current document that supports the use of niacin products under the supervision of a qualified health care provider for the treatment of dyslipidemias in adults. Niacin is proven safe and effective in the management of most lipid disorders but requires ongoing monitoring by a health care provider to detect potential toxicities. Health care providers should teach patients how to minimize niacin’s bothersome adverse effects and encourage long-term adherence. Because a variety of nonprescription niacin products with various potentials for toxicity are available, pharmacists should actively monitor patient selection of niacin products and discourage patient self-treatment with niacin. In addition, pharmacists should work in conjunction with patients and their primary care providers to ensure adequate monitoring for toxicity and effectiveness of therapy.

 

Project Status:  Current Ongoing
Current Partners:  None
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes

 

Grant Program in Medication Safety Research: Focus on the use of technology in patient safety.

 

Contact:

Amy Olin
foundation@ashp.org
(301) 657-3000 x1417

 


Project Description:
One to three grants up to $100,000 for the program is offered to projects that investigate the impact of technology in medication safety for patients receiving care in hospitals, outpatient clinics, managed care, nursing homes, and home care facilities.
For full program information including applications, please refer to our website at www.ashpfoundation.org.

 

Project Status:  Currently Ongoing
Current Partners: The ASHP Foundation is providing funds for this program.
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes
In future years, they would like to find a sponsor for the grants program.

 

 

Baltimore County Department of Aging

 

Alcohol, Medications and Senior Citizens

§         Pamphlet dealing with combining alcohol and medications

 

Contact Info

410-887-2594

 

 

Centers for Disease Control/ Food and Drug Administration http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart

 

Get Smart/ Know When Antibiotics Work

·        Kicked off 9/03- focuses on appropriate use of antibiotics in children,

·        CDC is responsible for the public education component, while FDA will handle the professional education component. 

 

 

Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare
www.cagh.org

 

Save Antibiotic Strength (SAS)

 

Contact:

Laura Aiuppa
laiuppa@caqh.org

202-778-3224

Project Description:
SAS is a program on both the national and local levels to educate Americans and to provide physicians with the information and tools they need to appropriately use antibiotics and reduce antibiotic resistance. Seven local pilot programs disseminate educational materials to physicians and consumers and collect data from health plans to measure levels of antibiotic use for treatment of pharyngitis to see if these efforts are fostering improvement.

 

Project Status:  Current Ongoing
Current Partners:  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes
National medical societies and specialty associations, including local chapters.

 

 


Marshfield Clinic/Marshfield Medical Research Foundation

www.marshfieldclinic.org

Increasing patient safety by improving compliance to clinical practice guidelines for diabetes management through electronically-generated reminders on patient interval reports and day sheets in a multi-specialty group practices setting.

 

Contact:
John Schmelzer, PhD
schmelzer.john@marshfieldclinic.org

(715) 389-3009
 
Project Description:
The principal objective of this study is to determine if a simple, low-cost, electronically-generated prompt, containing a set of diabetes management directives, delivered to primary care physicians and their care teams at a patient visit could significantly increase compliance with established clinical practice guidelines for selected laboratory tests that have been demonstrated to be clinically important in diabetes management.


Project Status:  Current Ongoing
Current Partners:  None
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes

 

 

National Council on Patient Information and Education

www.ncpie.org

 

"Be MedWise" - a national public awareness campaign promoting wise use of over-the-counter medicines

http://www.bemedwise.org

 

Contact:  W. Ray Bullman

bullman@ncpie.info

(301) 656-8565

 

Status:  Launched in 2002; re-launched in Sept. 2003

Current Partners: Office of the U.S. Surgeon General; FDA; Procter & Gamble Health Sciences Institute; McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals

Desire Additional Partners:  Yes

 

"Talk About Prescriptions" Month - a national health observance promoting enhanced consumer-health professional communication about the safe, appropriate use of medicines

 http://www.talkaboutrx.org

 

Contact:  N. Lee Rucker

rucker@ncpie.info

(301) 656-8565

 

Status:  The October 2003 observance (with the theme, "Educate Before You Medicate: A Prescription for Patient Safety") will mark "TAP" Month's 18th year. 

Current Partners:  Members of the NCPIE coalition

Desire Additional Partners:  Yes

 

 

National Quality Forum
www.qualityforum.org

 

"Safe Practices" in Hospital Care

 

Contact:

Laura N. Blum, M. A.
info@qualityforum.org

(202) 332-7014

Project Description:

This NQF Consensus Project will establish a core set of evidence-based "safe practices" that can and should be widely implemented to reduce the likelihood of healthcare errors. Practices will be salient to consumers and purchasers as well as providers.

Project Status:  Currently Ongoing
Current Partners: All NQF member organizations (including consumer, purchaser, provider/ health plan, and research/ quality improvement organizations) are current partners.
Desire Additional Partners?  Yes
Additional partners welcome to participate in dissemination of the core set of practices and products/ formats to stimulate implementation 

 

 


Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

www.phrma.org

 

Improving Communication of Drug Risk Information to Prevent Patient Injury ("Risk Communication Workshop")

Contact:

Alice Till
atill@phrma.org
(202) 835-3564

 

Project Description:

Create a research and education agenda on safety risk communication for drugs and other medical products


Project Status:  Currently Ongoing
Current Partners:  FDA, AHRQ, CERTs centers, risk communication experts (Dr. Baruch Fishhoff, et al), PhRMA members, advocacy groups
Desire Additional Partners?  No

 

 

 

UMD at Baltimore School of Medicine

 

The Medication Generation

§         Video regarding seniors and their right to information on the medication they are taking.  Includes interviews with seniors and pharacists

 

Contact Info

800-328-7450

Past Initiatives

 

AARP

Drug Smart

·        Audience: AARP Members (Retirees and Seniors)

·        Objective: Empower patients to be take charge of their prescription details

·        Method:  Hard copy pullout section in AARP magazine, also online

·        Key Points Made:

·        Be Curious

·        Don’t play Doctor

·        Share your Life Story

·        Watch the Clock

·        Open up to your Dentist

·        Make Friends with your Pharmacist

·        Plan a Review Session

 

 

 

Aetna

A Guide to Safe and Effective Medication Use: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Medication Errors

·        Audience: Physicians

·        Objective: To help physicians safeguard their patients health. 

·        Method: A checklist for physicians to use in order to further educate their patients about the types of medications they are taking. 

 

 

 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Ways You Can Help Your Family Prevent Medical Errors!

·        Audience: Heads of households

·        Objective:To provide these people with tips on what they can do to keep themselves and their families safe from medical errors. 

·        Method: This booklet contains numerous storyboard like question and answer tips to help consumers identify potential errors and how to fix them. 

20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors

·        Audience: Patients

·        Objective: To help medical patients identify potential medical errors that could be harmful to them.

·        Method: A simple checklist for medical patients to look at either prior to or during a meeting with their physician. 

 

 

 

 

Food and Drug Administration

Take Time to Care

·        1998-2000- Gained great momentum after first year

·        Audience: Women

·        Partners: NACDS, myriads(80) participating non-profit organizations

·        Objective: Provide women with critical information about how to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of taking both over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

·        Methods: Pharmacy efforts, 1,000,000 “My Medicines” brochures with mail order subscriptions, national media outreach, materials at conferences and universities, reaching low-income women through community health centers, linking with nursing outreach efforts and employee assistance programs, National toll free number (1-877-RX WOMEN) on 10/26/1999, linked websites

 

 

Institute of Medicine

To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, 11/99

1.      Establishing a national focus to create leadership, research, tools and protocols to enhance the knowledge base about safety.

2.      Identifying and learning from errors by developing a nationwide public mandatory reporting system and by encouraging health care organizations and practitioners to develop and participate in voluntary systems.

3.      Raising performance standards and exceptions for improvements in safety through the actions of oversight organizations, professional groups, and group purchasers of health care.

4.      Implementing safety systems in health care organizations to ensure safe practices at the delivery level.

 

 

 

 

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care

 

The acronym Speak Up stands for-

 

 

National Council on Patient Information and Education

Your Medicine: Play it Safe

 

 

National Institute on Drug Abuse

Research Report Series-Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction

 

 

The National Patient Safety Foundation

Safe Use of Pharmaceuticals as a National Health Priority

1.      Absence of national leadership-The absence of national leadership to investigate issues, make recommendations and investigate far-reaching change was seen as the biggest obstacle to advance the cause of medication safety.

2.      Fundamental perceptions-The group determined that Americans hold different concepts of medication risks and benefits.  They also said that consumers often confuse adverse drug reactions with prescription or usage errors.

3.      Difficulties in collaborating across segments of the health care community-Unclear roles, poor communication and threat of legal liability contribute to this problem.

4.      Conflicting goals and perspectives-The group said a conflict exists between an economically-driven free enterprise health care system that focuses on short-term profits and broader, long-term societal need to make pharmaceutical use as safe as possible. 

5.      Insufficient knowledge and inadequate adoption of 'best practices'-Group feels that they don't have a sufficient understanding of the problems involving safe medication use.

6.      Point-of-care constraints-Time constraints, fragmented or unavailable patient records contribute to this problem.

7.      Patient education and empowerment-Efforts to educate the public about safe drug use have failed according to the group. 

1.      Leadership with a broad agenda-The group felt that national dialogue about pharmaceutical safety needs to be re-framed to fit a comprehensive health plan to improve the well-being of citizens who take medications. 

2.      Building public awareness-The group suggested conducting national forums, convening a congressional caucus of representatives on safe medication use for patients and consumers or supporting a national medication safety awareness campaign as ways to build public awareness.

3.      Education and information-Ensuring that current information about pharmaceuticals is readily available via the Internet and other publications for professional and lay use.

4.      Legislation-Legislation that recognizes potential harm from medications, establishes a public/private fund to compensate injured patients, protects information submitted to a national error reporting program and allows direct competitors to freely share information regarding safety initiatives without concern for legal discovery or anti-trust litigation.

5.      Research and development-Research on medication use in multiple settings and another critical review of already-implemented medication use protocols and standards are two research areas the group would like to see looked at.

6.      Innovation and diffusion-Effective new drug prescription, delivery and monitoring processes must be developed in order to ensure safe drug usage.

 

  

 

World Health Organization

Safety Issues of Drug Use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books

 

 

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The Pharmacist’s Guide to Your Medication. Maryland: ASHP Publications, 2000.

 

Written and Published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, this 915 page book has just about everything a person needs to know about more than 700 commonly prescribed medications. Provided in question and answer format, the information contained covers dosing, proper usage, dietary concerns, and important warnings about possible interactions.

 

 

 

Bosker, Gideon. Pills That Work, Pills That Don’t: Demanding and Getting the Best and Safest Medications for You and Your Family. New York: Harmony Books, 1997.

 

This book is tough on both sides of the equation (it exposes, for example, the myth that generic drugs are as good as brand-name equivalents still under patent), and offers an objective system for ranking drugs. This system allows you to decide for yourself whether your doctor is giving you the best drugs for your condition, or merely the cheapest ones. The book teaches consumers to:

·        Find out which generic drugs are inefficient and out-of-date

·        Discover drugs you may not be taking that can prevent cancer, heart disease, and stroke--and prolong your life

·        Request a list of the approved medications your health plan prescribes

·        Learn how to get your HMO to pay for the better, brand name pills

·        Exchange costly medications for less expensive prescriptions

·        Build a safer, healthier drug regimen that eliminates toxic side effects

·        Follow Dr. Bosker's proven 12-Week Action Plan to help you and your doctor produce a sensible drug regimen that will do more with less

 

 

 

Caldwell, Chip, and Charles Denham. Medication Safety and Cost Recovery: A Four-Step Approach for Executives. Chicago: Health Administration Press, 2001.

 

This book advocates a management methodology known as the 100-Day Plan, a four-step approach for making dramatic improvements in medical center performance and preventing medication errors. It considers accelerating and inhibiting factors in an institution's quest to reduce drug events and medication errors, and explains the 100-Day Plan management methods, including the infrastructure it requires, measurement approaches, idealized design implementation steps, knowledge management, and how to hold gains. It describes techniques that healthcare institutions can use to recapture lost productivity, and contains self-assessments and planning guides.

 

 

 

DiCyan, Erwin, and Lawrence Hessman. Without Prescription: A Guide to the Selection and Use of Medicines You Can Get Over-The-Counter for Safe Self-Medication. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972.

 

This book attempts to provide a responsible, unbiased, knowledgeable guide to medicines and remedies readily available over-the-counter. Gives basic information on the curative properties and possible dangers of many OTC drugs. Written in 1972, it is not a very useful guide by today’s standards.

 

 

 

Goldman, Martin. The Handbook of Heart Drugs: A Consumer’s Guide to Safe and Effective Use. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1992.

 

Goldman, the director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital, has divided this consumers' handbook into two sections. In Part 1, he considers many vital issues one should be aware of before taking cardiovascular medications, including the doctor-patient relationship, common coronary illnesses, diagnostic tests, and the limitations of drug therapy. In Part 2, Goldman has compiled a compendium of over 90 heart drugs, including the following therapeutic classes: diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators, potassium supple ments, antiarrhythmics, blood-related drugs, and antihyperlipidemics. Individual entries describe the drug's purpose, mechanism of action, dosage, side effects, adverse reactions, and drug interactions.

 

 

 

Griffith, H. Winter. Complete Guide to Prescription & Nonprescription Drugs. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2002.

 

Encompassing more than five thousand brand-name and seven hundred generic drugs, this pharmaceutical reference provides information about dosages, side effects, precautions, treatment, interactions, and more, based on the latest FDA information. This 1,080 page book is comprehensive, easy-to-use, and informative and considered one of the best of its kind.

 

 

 

 

 

Meyer, Maren E. Coping With Medications. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, 1993.

 

This book was written by a professional clinical pharmacist with over ten years of experience working with people who take medications. Part of a series of books called the coping with aging series, it offers practical suggestions to assist consumers in managing their medications. It is basically an overview of how to deal with prescription medicines, covering everything from filling prescriptions and storage, to allergies and interactions.

 

 

 

Opus Communications. First Do No Harm: A Practical Guide to Medication Safety and JCAHO Compliance. Massachusetts: Opus Communications, 1999.

 

This book examines new strategies for improving the safety of medication use that are transforming the way the healthcare industry thinks about overall patient safety. It includes a thorough discussion of the JCAHO’s sentinel event policy, and it offers advice on complying with JCAHO standards related to medication use and sentinel events.  It discusses strategies for:

 

 

 

Pawlina, Albert M. The Family Prescription & Medication Guide. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall , 1979.

 

Organized like a dictionary, this book lists and describes the uses and side effects (and how to deal with them) for hundreds of commonly prescribed drugs, including generic and name brands, and cautions readers against possibly dangerous interactions with food, beverages, and other medications. The book is broken into four sections: general information, alphabetical encyclopedia of drugs, pharmaceutical definitions, and lists and tables. Written in 1979, it is a bit outdated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rayburn, William F., Frederick P. Zuspan, and Jeanne T. Fitzgerald. Every Woman’s Pharmacy: A Guide to Safe Drug Use. St. Louis: Mosby Press, 1983.

 

Concentrating on medication and medication safety from a female perspective, this book provides information on:

Written in 1983, it is considerably outdated.

 

 

 

Rybacki, James J. The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs 2003: Everything You Need to Know for Safe Drug Use. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.

For more than twenty-five years The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs has helped families make sense of the overwhelming and often contradictory flood of information about their prescriptions. Filled with critical health information, this fully revised and updated edition provides more detailed and comprehensive profiles on the most important drugs in current use than any other reference source. The book covers:

 

Silverman, Harold M. The Pill Book. 10th Ed. New York, NY: Bantam Books. 2002.

 

Information about the 1,500 most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. Each drug is profiled in a concise, readable, and easy-to-understand entry.  Information includes:

 

 

 

Surveys

 

 

 

 

OTC Pain Medication Survey

National Consumers League: August 1, 2003

 

§         Q: Thinking about the package or container of over-the-counter pain medication that you take most often – are you aware of any side effects or risks that are mentioned on the label?  If so, please tell me what the side effects are.

 

 

Health News Index Poll

Henry J. Kaiser Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health:  July 7, 2003

 

§         Q: Now, thinking about government regulation of the health care industry today. Please tell me if you think there is too much, not enough, or about he right amount of government regulation in each of the following areas.  What about the safety of prescription medications?  Do you think there is too much, not enough, or about the right amount of government regulation in each of the following areas?

 

 

 

Medication Information Survey

American Society of Health System Pharmacists; June 3, 2003

 

§         Q: How interested would you be in having a reference book for prescription medications that describes how each drug works, common side effects, and drug interactions?...Very interested, interested, somewhat interested, or not at all interested 

§         Q: How useful would such a book (that describes how each prescription medication works, common side effects, and drug interactions) be to you?...Very useful, useful, somewhat useful, or not at all useful 

§         Q: How likely is it that you would purchase the book (that describes how each prescription medication works, common side effects, and drug interactions) for personal home use?...Very likely, likely, somewhat likely, or not at all likely 

§         Q: Would you prefer to have the information (that describes how each prescription medication works, common side effects, and drug interactions) available on the Internet, in book form, or both ways? 

§         Q: (Thinking about prescription medicines, please tell if you strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements.)...You are concerned about adverse drug effects. 

§         Q: (Thinking about prescription medicines, please tell if you strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements.)...You are concerned about drug interactions. 

 

OTC Habits and Practices

Be Medwise (Canada): June 20, 2002. 

 

Main finding – Canadians admit to not reading and following all the directions on OTC labels.

§         Only one-third (34%) of Canadians compare the medicinal (active) ingredients of different medications they take to see if any are the same.

§         More than half of Canadians (54%) could not name the medicinal (active) ingredient in the non-prescription headache medication they use most often.

§         Most consumers don’t seek full information when they buy non-prescription medication.

§         Only one out of ten respondents (10%) claims to look at warnings about usage with other non-prescription medications, either when buying the medicine or taking it for the first time.

§         43% of young adults (18 to 34 years old) say they are likely to take more than one non-prescription medication at the same time, if they have more than one symptom.

§         Nearly one in three (31%) of adults aged 18 to 24 claim to have taken more than the recommended number of pills at a single time.

§         Nearly 35% of Canadians -- 5 million adults -- take the next dose of their non-prescription medication sooner than directed on the label.

§         27% of adults aged 18 to 24 say they have taken more than the number of recommended dosages per day.

§         Fewer than half of respondents (44%) would re-read the labels on their non-prescription medications when thinking about taking more than one at the same time.

§         Western Canadians exhibit the most inappropriate behavior when it comes to following labeled directions on non-prescription medications.

§         On average, Canadians took about 1.4 different prescription and non-prescription medications in the last month.

 

 

Top Patient Concerns 2002 Survey

American Society of Health System Pharmacists: June 18, 2002

 

§         Q: Pharmacists in hospitals and health systems review patient records to make sure dosages are correct, that the prescribed drugs do not cause harmful interactions or side effects, advise doctors on the best medication choices, and answer patient questions…If the hospital, special treatment clinic, or nursing home offered you the opportunity to talk with a pharmacist who could help answer your questions about medications, would you want to talk to the pharmacist?

§         Q: (Pharmacists in hospitals and health systems review patient records to make sure dosages are correct, that the prescribed drugs do not cause harmful interactions or side effects, advise doctors on the best medication choices, and answer patient questions.)...Would you be interested in having a pharmacist work closely with you and your physician to help monitor how well your medications are working? 

§         Q: (Pharmacists in hospitals and health systems review patient records to make sure dosages are correct, that the prescribed drugs do not cause harmful interactions or side effects, advise doctors on the best medication choices, and answer patient questions.)...Would you support this (having a pharmacist work closely with you and your physician to help monitor how well your medications are working) as a new benefit under Medicare? 

 

 

Health Care Survey

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, National Public Radio: June 2002

 

§         Q:  (Did the problem you or your family member had with the diagnosis or treatment involve any of the following?)...Did you have a bad drug interaction, or not? 

 

 

 

Special Nutritionals Survey

Prevention Magazine: September 14, 2001

 

§         Q: (Please tell me how often you look for each of the following kinds of information on the label when you shop for vitamins or minerals.)... Warning about possible interactions with prescription medicines, over-the-counter medications, or herbal products 

§         Q: (Is this information (on the label when you shop for vitamins and minerals) generally clear and easy to find, or not?)... Warnings about possible interactions with prescription medicines, over-the-counter medications, or herbal products 

§         Q: (Please tell me how often you look for each of the following kinds of information on the label when you shop for herbal (remedy or supplement) products.)... Warnings about possible interactions with prescription medicines  

§         Q: (Is this information (on the label of herbal remedy or supplement products you shop for) generally clear and easy to find, or not?)... Warnings about possible interactions with prescription medicines 

§         Q: Did you ever experience a side effect or adverse reaction you thought was caused by... the interaction of a specialty supplement and a prescription medicine? 

 

 

Chronic Illness and Caregiving Survey

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Johns Hopkins University, Partnership: May 9, 2001

 

§         Q: In the past 12 months, when getting care for your medical problem, how often have...you been told by a pharmacist about a harmful interaction between a drug you are already taking and a new one you were about to fill...often, sometimes, hardly ever, or never? 

§         Q: In the past 12 months, when getting care for your relationship (you provide care for) how often have/has...your relationship been told by a pharmacist about a harmful interaction between a drug they are already taking and a new one they were about to fill...often, sometimes, hardly ever, or never? 

 

 

Medication Information Survey

American Society of Health System Pharmacists: May 30, 2000

 

§         Q: (These next few questions are about prescription medications. These are medicines your doctor or pharmacist must give you a prescription for, they are not over-the-counter drugs you can purchase without a prescription.  Using a scale of one to five, where five means very concerned and one means not at all concerned, how concerned are you about the following issues regarding prescription medicines?)...Drug interactions 

§         Q: (Still thinking about the printed, supplemental information you receive at the pharmacy with your prescription medicines, please tell me if these materials provide you with enough information about the following issues.)...Drug interactions

 

 

 

EHR (electronic health records) Trends and Usage

MRI

 

The MRI Survey of EHR Trends and Usage reveals insights into the:

§         Management, administrative, and clinical motivations driving the need for Electronic Health Record systems

§         EHR applications and functions being implemented or planned

§         IT platforms used to support EHR applications

§         EHR configurations for different environments

§         Data capture methods being employed

§         Major barriers to EHRs and the user strategies to address them

§         Data security concerns

§         Q: Which of the following best describes the environment where you spend most of your workday?

§         Q: Which of the following best describes your role within your organization?

§         Q: How would you describe your role in the EHR decision-making process? (regarding how influential the individual is)

§         Q: Where do you work? (Country)

§         Q: What are the major factors that are driving the need for Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems?

§         Q: Please identify the primary and secondary IT platforms that your EHR is based on.

§         Q: If you are using mobile/wireless devices for healthcare applications, which ones are they?

§         Q: What methods do you use to enter clinical information into your EHR?

§         Q: If you work in the following environments, and if you have an EHR, does it support

§         Q: Which of the following applications or functions do you have in use today or planned for implementation

§         Q: What are the major barriers to your plans for implementing an EHR?

§         Q: What do you consider to be the major concerns/problems related to implementation of mobile/wireless healthcare devices and applications?

§         Q: What are your major concerns regarding the privacy and security of patient record information?
 

Most Common Quality Problems

Pharmacopeia:  May 1997

 

Survey recipients were asked to identify the drug product quality defects they had encountered and reported