Pharmacy Technicians
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Diversion: Practical Approaches to Prevention and Management

Drug diversion is a significant concern in hospitals despite advances and safeguards intended to prevent this practice. Laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines are in place, yet it is with near-perfect certainty that most pharmacy managers have dealt with or will encounter a diversion issue during their career. The goal of this activity is to share practical approaches for the prevention of diversion and for handling the situation when diversion does occur.

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Handling Hazardous Drugs Safely: Many Angles One Focus

This dynamic activity on hazardous drug handling was delivered as a satellite symposium at the 2010 midyear meeting of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This on-demand replay will share the content from the live meeting and provide a side-by-side comparison of nursing and pharmacy survey data on factors that impact the use of safe drug handling precautions.

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Hazardous Drugs: Is Your Practice Putting Patients & Providers at Risk?

This CE activity will assess the many factors in the safe handling of hazardous drugs (HDs). Established HD safe-handling precautions, intended to minimize risk to both patients and providers, will be discussed. Participants will learn about safe-handling practices both within the pharmacy environment and throughout the healthcare facility. The entire spectrum of HD management will be discussed from formulary and purchasing, to storing, compounding, delivery, administration, and disposal.

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Levonorgestrel: Patient Use and the Role of Pharmacy

Levonorgestrel and other emergency contraception products are considered non-prescription medications, yet unlike other OTC medications pharmacist intervention with the patient is required. Because of the nature of this product, there is a potential for confusion, misunderstanding, and anxiety not only on the part of the patient but also on the part of the pharmacist and pharmacy technician. This continuing education activity addresses the pharmacology of levonorgesterel, the guidelines in place for dispensing, patient counseling and the role of the pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

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Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs: Risks and Practical Considerations

For healthcare providers, exposure to hazardous drugs can lead to contamination and uptake. Are you one of those at risk? Consequences of exposure include local reactions, cancer, organ toxicity, fertility problems, genetic damage, and birth defects. Although guidelines for safe handling of hazardous drugs exist, exposures still occur, suggesting that compliance is variable. This activity will review the risk of exposure to hazardous drugs, methods to avoid exposure, and best practices for contamination management.

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High Alert Drugs: Addressing Potential Errors Proactively

Patient safety is of utmost importance within health-systems; yet, medication errors continue at an alarming rate. Regulatory and accrediting organizations have developed standards addressing medication safety; however, additional focus by these organizations is likely. Implementation of technology to help prevent medication errors has been slow due to the cost and resources required. This monograph will identify medications and processes prone to error and describe how medication infusion technologies may help prevent those errors. Additionally, this activity reviews the data generated by medication administration technology and describes how to use this data to assist in quality improvement programs to reduce medication errors.

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Patient and Provider Safety with the Chemotherapy Infusion Process

The risk of patient and provider exposure to hazardous drugs has been identified as a problem of increasing health concern. These hazardous medications are capable of causing serious effects to those exposed; including local reactions, cancer, organ toxicity, fertility problems, genetic damage, and birth defects. Professional organizations, government agencies, and various regulatory bodies have called for and/or developed guidelines for handling hazardous drugs. However, even with these measures in place, inadvertent exposures still occur and providers need to receive education on the availability and use of advanced safety equipment used in the preparation and administration of hazardous drugs. This monograph focuses on the safe handling, preparation and administration of hazardous drugs. The monograph covers risk management, current chemotherapy guidelines, types of safety equipment, and use of closed IV preparation/administration equipment.

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