ABOUT THE ARTIST
About the artist: This month’s cover art, "Edgertown Lighthouse, " was painted in watercolor by Avaleen Eberly, a resident of The Fairfax, a retirement community in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
FEATURES
Medicare Nursing Facility PPS Takes Off . . . But Will it Fly?
David K. Buerger
As the new regulations go into effect this month, consultant pharmacists and ASCP are preparing to take action to minimize any negative effects on the quality of patient care.
This report also includes some up-to-the-minute news that ASCP learned as this issue was going to press.
All Systems Go: Tackling the Accreditation Process
Kathleen Riley
A JCAHO survey can send some long-term care pharmacists into orbit. Here’s how to make a smooth landing–for yourself or a client facility.
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C O N T E N T S
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July 1998
Volume 13, Number 7
Research and Reports
Effect of Consultant Pharmacist Interventions Upon Unnecessary Use of Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonists in Skilled Nursing Facilities
James Joyner, David Schack, Judy Burgio
Pharmacists’ recommendations to reduce or discontinue H2 antagonists in 168 residents of skilled nursing facilities resulted in 129 positive physician responses. Of the 129 patients whose medication was reduced or discontinued, only seven needed to return to using the drug within six months.
Clinical Note
Educational Needs Assessment of Nursing Staff
Dean R. Schmiedt
A 50-item questionnaire given to registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and trained medication aides showed a need for pharmacists to educate nursing staff regarding brand and generic names of drugs, use of apothecary units, and identification of excessive doses.
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