Jerry Fahrni

Author: Jerry Fahrni

  • Saturday morning coffee [August 8 2015]

    “Power is like being a lady… if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” – Margaret Thatcher

    The mug below comes from Six Flags Magic Mountain down in Valencia, California. If you like roller coasters, then this is the place for you. They have some of the best in the business, and my kids love to ride them. We used to go down there a few times a year, but haven’t had the opportunity in a while. It was nice to have a little reckless fun for a change. One of the longtime landmark rides at Magic Mountain was the Colossus, billed as the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. Something happened in 2014 and Six Flags did some major work on the coaster. It’s no longer the wooden beast it was, but rather a hybrid wood and steel roller coaster called Twisted Colossus. The new ride features barrel roll inversions, and a near-vertical drop. And when I say near-vertical drop, I mean near vertical. It got my heat racing. Should have brought the GoPro.

    Twisted Colossus MUG
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  • FDA approves first 3D printed drug

    This was all over the web yesterday, so I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but this is huge. 3D printing is one of those technologies that has the potential to disrupt just about every industry it touches. It’s not often that you can say that. The most recent technologies that I can think of that had that kind of impact was the explosion of smartphones and tablets, which are now ubiquitous across every industry you can imagine.

    SPRITAM

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  • JerryFahrni.com Podcast #3: Semi-automated IV Workflow Management Systems

    Show Notes:
    Host: Jerry Fahnri

    New Equipment:
    Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone – Blackout Edition
    Dragonpad Pop Filter

    IVWFM systems discussed:
    APOTECAps1
    BD Cato
    DoseEdge
    EPIC Dispense Prep2
    i.v.SOFT
    IVTrac1
    Meditech1,2
    PharmQ-ITH – No longer available. IP sold to BD
    Phocus Rx
    PyxisPrep – No longer available. Killed following acquisition by BD
    RxADMIX1
    ScriptPro
    Verification

    1. I have not reviewed these systems in a live environment, i.e. non-beta customer site. I have had a live demo of IVTrac.
    2. These systems are part of an already existing EHR platform, i.e. they are not standalone

  • Saturday morning coffee [August 1 2015]

    “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” ― C.S. Lewis,

    So much happens each and every week, and it’s hard to keep up sometimes. Here are some of the tabs that are open in my browser this morning along with some random thoughts…

    MUG_SMC
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  • What USP <797> has to say about beyond-use dating of stock bags

    Nothing. It says nothing, which leaves things open to interpretation. That’s bad.

    Beyond use dating (BUD) in USP <797> is pretty straightforward, but there’s really no language in there describing stock bags.

    Here are some things to think about. When performing routine compounding, USP <797> states that in the absence of sterility testing, the assigned BUD must not exceed the following:

    USP 797 BUD for temp and risk
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  • JerryFahrni.com Podcast #2: Sterile Compounding Robots

    Show notes:
    Host: Jerry Fahrni

    Robots discussed:
    i.v.STATION by Aesynt
    RIVA by Intelligent Hospital Systems (IHS)
    INTELLIFILL I.V. by Baxter
    APOTECAchemo® by Loccioni Group

  • Saturday morning coffee [July 24 2015]

    “To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.” – Buddha

    So much happens each and every week, and it’s hard to keep up sometimes. Here are some of the tabs that are open in my browser this morning along with some random thoughts….

    The mug below comes straight from the Hula Daddy Coffee Plantation in Kona, HI. My family and I recently spent a week in Kona on vacation. The island isn’t what I expected, but we had a great time. There are so many interesting things to do, and the differences in landscape and climate are crazy in such a small area.

    MUG_HulaDaddy
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  • More thoughts on the ASHP national survey results for informatics and pharmacy practice

    On Monday I spoke briefly about two articles in AJHP that summarize two recent ASHP surveys. The first covers Pharmaccy Informatics in U.S. Hospitals(1), while the second focuses on pharmacy practice in acute care hospitals(2).

    Both surveys contain a wealth of information, and provide a snapshot of what pharmacies in the U.S. are doing. While conducted at different times by different groups, I think it’s more interesting to look at the two surveys together. As I mentioned in my podcast, the adoption of automation and technology goes hand in hand with pharmacy operations. You can no longer have one without the other.
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  • JerryFahrni.com Podcast #1: ASHP National Survey Results

    Show notes:
    Host: Jerry Fahrni

    The two surveys discussed in the podcast are below:

    Fox, B. I., C. A. Pedersen, and K. F. Gumpper. “ASHP National Survey on Informatics: Assessment of the Adoption and Use of Pharmacy Informatics in U.S. Hospitals–2013.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 72, no. 8 (April 15, 2015): 636–55. doi:10.2146/ajhp140274.

    Pedersen, C. A., P. J. Schneider, and D. J. Scheckelhoff. “ASHP National Survey of Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings: Dispensing and Administration–2014.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 72, no. 13 (July 1, 2015): 1119–37. doi:10.2146/ajhp150032.

  • The FDA has delayed enforcement of “track and trace”

    Hear that? That’s a collective sigh of relief from pharmacy directors everywhere.

    Modern Healthcare: “The Food and Drug Administration is giving pharmacies another four months before they’re penalized if they can’t document the chain of custody for the drugs they dispense. The requirement was adopted under a 2013 law passed in response to a meningitis outbreak traced to a compounding pharmacy.” – The original deadline for enforcement was July 1. Groups such as ASHP have been lobbying to get the FDA to hold off enforcing the July 1 deadline. Looks like it worked.

    Just in case you didn’t know, the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) was signed into law on on November 27, 2013. Title II of the DQSA, the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) creates new definitions and requirements related to product tracing. The idea of the DSCSA is to build an electronic, interoperable system of tracking prescription drugs (“products”) by November 27, 2023.

    The DSCSA replaces the pedigree requirements of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) and preempts state requirements – killing what California was trying to do – and applies to transactions or changes in ownership of products.

    Under the DSCSA manufacturers, wholesale distributors, repackagers, and dispensers are required to provide the subsequent purchaser with product tracing information when engaging in transactions involving certain prescription drugs, thus creating a barrier for counterfeit medications entering the market.

    People have been scrambling for a while to be compliant, but it’s been an uphill battle for many. I’ve sat through several webinars, and it’s clear that there is still much confusion. It’s a good thing the FDA handed out a four month reprieve. However, it’s unclear whether or not an additional four months is enough.

    You can read more about the DSCSA at the FDA website here. Enjoy!