About the artist: This month’s cover art, “Roller,” was painted in watercolor by Ann Hall,
a resident of The Fairfax, a retirement community in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
FEATURES
PPS ‘Discounts’ and the Anti-Kickback Act
Margit H. Nahra
The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services is focusing increased scrutiny on fee discount arrangements between ancillary services providers and nursing facilities paid under the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS). In particular, federal authorities are on the lookout for improper “swapping” of discounts on PPS-covered services for Part B service referrals. A health care attorney offers some timely legal advice to help pharmacy providers stay on terra firma.
1999 ASCP Annual Report
Building on work begun in 1998, ASCP moved forward in 1999-the 30th anniversary of the Society’s founding-to fulfill a new senior care vision and mission marked by a redoubled commitment to senior advocacy and advancement of consultant pharmacy beyond its traditional nursing facility base. Among other important strides last year, ASCP scored a major lobbying victory in Congress, spearheaded implementation of a collaborative senior-focused immunization campaign, and released a range of new practice tools to enhance and expand pharmacists’ senior care activities.
|
C O N T E N T S
April 2000/Vol. 15, No. 4
America's Senior Care PharmacistsTM
Research and Reports
Prevalence and Treatment Patterns of Constipation in the Long-Term Care Setting: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Kristine M. Floyd, Susan K. Maue, Wil Aqui, Fred Augello, Jr.
In a study involving hundreds of residents of 25 nursing facilities, the investigators document continued high rates of diagnosed constipation and laxative use among long-term care patients. The study findings also point to key roles for pharmacists in constipation risk assessment, patient monitoring, and pharmacotherapy decision making.
Clinical Review
Recognition, Treatment, and Management of Acute Diabetes Complications in Long-Term Care Facilities
Donald K. Zettervall
Seniors with diabetes are at substantial risk for both acute and chronic complications
such as hypo- or hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, neuropathy, and vascular damage. This literature review explores current management strategies and opportunities for enhanced prevention through pharmacist intervention. This literature review and illustrative hypothetical case studies suggest avenues for improved osteoporosis care by tailoring drug therapy for age, comorbidities, and individual health risk profile.
|
D E P A R T M E N T S
|
|
Bylines
Medical Errors and Errors of Omission
David K. Buerger
Health Trends
How Will ‘Baby Boomers’ Reshape the Health Care Marketplace?; Federal NTI Drug List Under Attack; First Study of ACE Inhibitor Effectiveness in the Very Old; Nursing Facilities Eye Telemedicine; more
Consultant Pharmacist Forum
Managing Behavior in Patients with Dementia: Where Are We Now?
Information Access
Selected Web Site Reviews
|
Policy Currents
Undertreatment of Pain Is Elder Abuse, Lawsuit Charges; HCFA Cracks Down on Resident Safety Violations; States Grapple with Rising Pharmaceutical Costs; Medicare+Choice Plans Call for Reimbursement Hike; more
Helpful Ideas
OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard: Implications for Your Practice
Paula M. Baker, Mary Jo Carden
Calendar
Late Additions
Nursing Edges Out Pharmacy as Most-Trusted Profession; Study Cites Sharp Rise in Use of Psychotropics by Preschoolers
|
|