Pharmacy & Formulary
Members of the pharmacy and formulary review committee will travel across the province this summer to visit with the Renal Agency’s community pharmacy partners. Committee members will provide community pharmacists with updates on clinical issues and renal pharmacy issues related to the renal contract, and will discuss how the community pharmacies can support medication reconciliation. The visits will also offer community pharmacists a chance to provide feedback on operational aspects of the renal contract and how well it is working for them. Renal programs will be asked to provide feedback on their experiences with their community pharmacy partners through a survey this summer.
Efforts to establish a standard protocol for anemia care are starting to achieve their goals – and in the process, resulting in savings to the health system. Data show that anemia targets are being met faster and that more patients are within target and for a greater percentage of time, resulting in better overall anemia care. The anemia protocol is also helping to promote a more standardized approach to anemia care, as well as an enhanced level of practice for renal nurses. Following the new anemia management protocol, nurses can make adjustments to medications for patients without having to first consult with physicians. This saves time and reduces frustration for both nurses and doctors, ultimately leading to better patient care. The health system benefits too: in 2007/08, the new protocol accounted for a savings of $1.7 million.
The BC renal community is responding the challenge of medication reconciliation for patients, helped in part by the support provided by PROMIS. Medication problems are the number two cause of adverse events affecting hospital patients. For this reason, medication reconciliation is now a required accreditation standard for hospitals in Canada. The model for supporting medication reconciliation developed by the Renal Agency and piloted by the Vancouver Island Health Authority Renal Program may well become the med reconciliation model for chronic disease management in the future. For more information please refer to the April edition of the Renal News. |
Pharmacy Travelling Road Show |
Copyright ©2007 BC Provincial Renal Agency. An Agency of the Provincial PHSA improves the health of British Columbians by seeking province-wide solutions to specialized health care needs in collaboration with BC health authorities and other partners. For more information, visit www.phsa.ca |
