Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Year of the Nurse - November 2020 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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7 6 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 0 S ome of the drugs and flu- ids used most often in sur- gical facilities go in and out of shortage daily due to inter- ruptions in the supply chain, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fentanyl for pain control has been in shortage lately, as have some benzodi- azepines used for sedation, car- diac medications, diuretics and blood pressure meds. Dextrose and saline fluids are also proving difficult to stock. If your facility doesn't have protocols in place to plan for shortages before they occur, now is certainly the time to create them. Start with these five steps to ensure the drugs needed to provide safe patient care are always on hand, even when supply streams slow to a trickle. Monitor supplies The American Society of Health System Pharmacists works closely with the FDA and main- tains the most current drug short- age list (ashp.org/drug- shortages). It should be checked daily. The FDA also has daily information on shortages at (osmag.net/RfAAy5). You can also sign up for twice weekly email updates from the FDA on shortages. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ismp.org) and our parent organization ECRI Institute (www.ecri.org) has useful information about shortages as well. Check these sites on a regular basis. They're helpful in assessing the current supply levels of your often- used medications and can help you react to poten- tial shortages before they impact your stock. Know your inventory Keep a current list of your most commonly performed procedures and what medications are used for them, and your surgeons' preferred med- ications. When ordering medications, refer to the list to determine what medications are needed for cases during the upcoming week. The list should include the primary medication used for all procedures and the second- and third- 2 1 Managing Medication Shortages Planning for drug scarcities ensures you deliver safe patient care. Safety Allen Vaida, PharmD, FASHP DAILY UPDATES Check websites that monitor drug shortages and communicate with medication supply reps to avoid running out of critical medications. Pamela Bevelhymer, RN, BSN, CNOR

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