THE STAFF AT WOMEN & CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF BUFFALO knows the value of speaking up. When it became evident that a new smart pump that Kaleida Health had introduced for use in its five-hospital system wouldn’t serve the needs of  Women & Children’s diverse population, the staff took its concerns to the administration. The result is an intravenous (IV) [...]

IN 2007, with the passage of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendments Act, the FDA was granted new authority to require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) to ensure that the benefits of a drug outweigh its risks. An REMS, which can be required at the time a drug is approved and/or once it has gone to [...]

How would you define the ideal pharmacy practice model? The ideal pharmacy practice model is one where the pharmacist works side by side with other members of the health care team to design optimum drug regimens for patients. This is, of course, supported by a drug distribution system in which the right drug, in the correct dose, is in the hands of the nurse [...]

AS WE GO TO PRESS with the fall 2010 edition of InterSections, nearly 100 ASHP members have just finished an intensive day lobbying congressional representatives and their staff members on issues critical to our profession. It has been a busy, but important, time for ASHP members and the patients they serve. With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, [...]

ONE OF MY JOBS AS ASHP CEO is to spread the gospel of pharmacists’ vital role in medication management and ASHP’s commitment to the practice of hospital and health-system pharmacy and patient safety. During my career, I’ve traveled internationally a fair bit, and it always amazes me how similar our challenges are to those of [...]