USP General Chapter <800> has been approved

I’m sure that most of you are aware, but just in case, I thought I would pass this little tidbit along. The Compounding Expert Committee announced on November 20, 2015, that USP has approved a new General Chapter USP <800> – Hazardous Drugs—Handling in Healthcare Settings. The revised chapter will be published February 1, 2016, … Read more

NFC packaging for medications

NFC is good for more than figuring out how much liquor you have. NFC World: “The two companies [Thinfilm and Jones Packaging] are collaborating to integrate Thinfilm’s NFC OpenSense technology into paperboard pharma packaging and establish key manufacturing processes for production on Jones’ high speed lines.” In addition “the work…will also include the integration of ferrite shield … Read more

ASHP Midyear 2015 Technology Summary

This year’s ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting was held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 6 through December 10, 2015.  For many, the Midyear Meeting is about the latest in clinical advances, but for me, it’s an opportunity to see all the new pharmacy automation and technology. And the … Read more

BD introduces simplified comprehensive IV management [#AHSPMidyear15]

Like many others, I received a press release from BD while attending the 2015 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in New Orleans. The press release touted the introduction of “a simplified way for hospitals to manage intravenous (IV) medication to help improve safety and reduce waste”. The press release goes on to explain how BD has … Read more

Cool Technology for Pharmacy – Cactus Smart Sink [#ASHPMidyear15]

Acute care pharmacies generate a lot of pharmaceutical waste, and it’s not always clear what you should do with it. Yesterday I came across The Cactus Smart Sink while roaming through the exhibit hall at ASHP Midyear. The Smart Sink is a pharmaceutical waste disposal container that renders its contents “unrecoverable, non-retrievable and unusable”. Some key features … Read more

Prepping for #ASHPMidyear15

Tomorrow morning I’ll catch a flight from LAX to New Orleans for the 50th ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition. The annual ASHP Midyear Meeting is the largest gathering of pharmacists in the country. Over a period of five days, more than 20,000 pharmacists from all over the world will gather to discuss everything from … Read more