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The rollout was announced at company headquarters and at the Associationof PeriOperative Registered Nurses annual Congress in Anaheim.
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The initial custom compounding service covers five drug classes -antibiotics (including Cefazolin), sedatives, neuromuscular blockade agents,narcotics, and vasopressors, said Rich Kruzynski, R.Ph, PharMEDium President.Throughout 2008, the service will expand to cover additional requested custom,compounded preparations commonly prescribed for use in the OR, Kruzynskiadded.
The new custom OR compounded preparation service offers a host of featuresdesigned to enhance safety and delivery of OR medications improving patientcare. Specifically, the copyrighted, patent pending service labels weredesigned based on the input of industry experts.
Each custom service label is color-coded by drug class and dual-bandedwith the compounded drug preparation name, enabling physicians to see the drugname on each preparation from various angles and to reduce the potential foran error with high-alert medications. The use of color coding by drug class,another major feature, aligns with recommendations of the American Society forTesting and Materials (ASTM), and is endorsed by the American Society ofAnesthesiologists (ASA). This feature may improve clinicians' recognition ofsyringe medication service labels in emergency situations, Kruzynski said.
The labeling features integrated into the custom OR compounding servicehave been developed as a result of extensive market research conducteddirectly with anesthesiologists and conforms to the standards of ASTM and theJoint Commission. The Joint Commission's 2007-08 Patient Safety Goal 3drecommends that all medications and solutions used in the perioperativeenvironment be properly labeled. PharMEDium ASTM color coding for syringepreparations by drug class (orange for sedatives, violet for vasopressors,blue for narcotics, etc.) is intended to enhance drug recognition in emergencysituations in the OR.
"An initiative like the new OR custom Anesthesia Drug Compounding Servicecan support hospitals' efforts to improve on delivery of patient care in lightof the new Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services' pay-for-performanceinitiatives. This is another major element of PharMEDium's industry-leadingexpertise and a continuation of our goal to set the industry standard. Ourobjective is to continue to provide innovative solutions to clinicians andpharmacists to facilitate improved patient safety providing the highestquality of patient care, with the highest quality preparation process andcomprehensive labeling," said PharMEDium Chairman and CEO David Jonas.
About PharMEDium Services, LLC
For more than 15 years, PharMEDium has been the leading provider ofoutsourced compounding services. In that time, PharMEDium has grown into anationwide network of state licensed and federally registered compoundingcenters providing trusted solutions to more than 1,800 hospitals throughoutthe United States. Managed by licensed pharmacists and staffed by certifiedtechnicians, the company complies with all applicable state laws and FDAregulations, including USP Chapter < 797 >, as well as DEA and cGMPRequirements.
SOURCE PharMEDium Services, LLC
