new guidelines and standards, as well as FDA enforcement, should
temper these concerns. "Hospitals have embraced it, and if hospitals
do something, it tends to filter down to ASCs. The track record is
already established, and if that track record continues to be good,
you're going to see it gain more traction."
Next steps
Are prefilled syringes a better fit for your facility than multi-use vials?
When vetting potential vendors, take the advice of Ms. Allen — some-
one who has already taken the next step.
•
Do your research.
"Visit the [compounding pharmacy] you might
use, or have your consultant pharmacist visit to tour the facilities to
make sure you're using a company that's reputable. We've never had a
company deny us yet."
• Be prepared. "You have to work through the over- and under-
ordering dilemma till you figure out what your pace will be. In the
beginning, it was more difficult, so you might over- or under-order till
you're better in tune. We were able to tweak what our par levels need-
ed to be, which gave us a better handle on our lead-time."
• Focus on high-dollar medications. "With something like lidocaine
for patient IV starts, it's a low-cost item, so if we're wasting a low-cost
item, it's a part of doing business. High-dollar medications are a differ-
ent story."
OSM
J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 0 5