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The Pharmacist’s News Source
pharmacypracticenews.com Printer-friendly versions available online
in this issue OPERATIONS & MGMT
6
Bundled interventions prevent drug-related hospital readmissions.
CLINICAL
16
Improving diabetes outcomes through patient education.
20
Using ideal body weight for sedating obese patients a prescription for failure.
23
The risks and benefits of epilepsy treatment.
Volume 39 9 • Number 12 • December 2012
40th ANNIVERSARY YEAR 1972–2012
Sandy Packed a Punch, But So Did Local Pharmacy Disaster Response H
ospitals and hospital pharmacies across New York and New Jersey prepared for the worst as the massive tropical storm named Sandy moved up the Atlantic Coast in late October, gathering force and threatening to take a sharp turn into one of the world’s most populous metropolitan areas. When the storm finally struck on Monday night, Oct. 29, the devastation exceeded even the gloomiest projections. More than 100 people lost their lives, countless homes were flooded or destroyed by the tidal surge and millions of others were plunged into darkness, many for weeks. Four Manhattan medical centers—NYU Langone, Bellevue, New York Downtown and Manhattan VA—were forced to close and evacuate more than 1,000 acute-care patients after rising East River tidal waters flooded lower floors and basements, disrupting back-up generator service and destroying many millions of dollars’ worth of medical equipment, medications and supplies. For NYU Langone alone the cost of restoration was put at $750 million to $1 billion. In New York’s outer boroughs, Sandy wreaked havoc on shoreline homes and medical facilities.
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Hurricane Sandy affected a huge swath of the East Coast, but some of the hardesthit areas were along the Jersey shore (inset).
see SANDY, Y page 9
POLICY
26
The first oral biologic agent approved for rheumatoid arthritis.
TECHNOLOGY
30
New hazardous-drug compounding system launched.
EDUCATIONAL REVIEW
Management of Warfarin Therapy
Is Fibrate-Statin Ban a Bad Idea? Hollywood, Fla.—In 2011, the FDA issued new dosing limits on simvastatin that included a contraindication for concomitant use of the fibrate gemfibrozil due to concerns about an increased risk for rhabdomyolysis. But the reaction of some health systems to ban the use of all statin-fibrate combinations has come with its own set of dangers, according to new data presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
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see FIBRATES, page 15
Post-Discharge Outreach Emerges As a Key to Reduced Readmissions Hollywood, Fla.—To mitigate the longanticipated Medicare penaltiees for excessive hospital readmission ns that took effect in October, hos-pitals nationwide have struggled to shave their readmission rates and avoid potentially severe financial harm. Because medication-related factors aree thought to play a major role in readmissions, pharmacists havee seen an opening to contribute to the cause cause. Three studies presented at the American
College of Clinical Pharmacy annual meeting assessed the impact of those contribution ns. The initiatives studied focused on n resolving drug-related patient carre issues that often arise during tthe transition of care between iinpatient and outpatient settings. In one pilot study, researchers developed a protocol in which inpattient pharmacists continued their contact w with patients after discharge from a general m medicine unit, allowing them the
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see READMISSIONS page 8
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BUYER’S GUIDE 2012 See insert after page 24.
New Product Medi-Dose®, Inc./ EPS®, Inc. announces new ORAL LiquiDose® Butterfly Labels. See page 30.
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