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Bridgeport Hospital is a 501 bed hospital servicing the most populous city in Connecticut. The Department of Pharmacy is responsible for acute inpatient care, ambulatory care, as well as hospital based clinics. After pharmacy employee feedback and leadership observation, there seemed to be operational efficiencies that could be implemented. During an analysis of each shift, operations leadership discovered that many shifts had overlapping responsibilities and unclear delineation of duties. In order to clarify and streamline workflows, the department listed each task that was required of a pharmacy technician and set up multiple working meetings with pharmacy technicians. During these meetings, the group completed an activity by placing the tasks (laminated with Velcro backing), on posterboards representing each shift. The team proposed new responsibilities per shift, based upon a “theme” for the shift, with the idea to keep all tasks related to the “theme” assigned to the shift. For example, the Nonsterile Compounding shift completed a number of tasks that were related to returns, reports and other items. Under the new workflow, the Nonsterile Compounding Pharmacy Technician now only completes tasks related to completing nonsterile compounding.
We will continue to evaluate our workflow as a result of these changes. Empowering our front line team to make changes and provide feedback promotes trust, ownership, productivity and innovation. Employee engagement naturally leads to operational efficiencies in medication distribution. Our front line team has helped to ensure that the right person is doing the right task at the right time. This allows the Pharmacy Department to provide a consistent and high quality level of service to our nursing colleagues and patients.
Submitted by Bridgeport Hospital Pharmacy Operations Management team:
June Repasi
Marta Stueve Brunot
Jim Kennedy
Teresa Papstein
We will soon begin accepting nominations for the distinguished CSHP Awards (CSHP Meritorious Team Achievement Award, Paul G. Pierpaoli Award, Pharmacist of the Year Award, and Greg Gousse Preceptor of the Year Award). Any CSHP member pharmacist will be eligible for nomination.
Description of the awards:
On May 8th, during the last hour of the legislative session the Advanced Tech legislation passed (SB 133). Rather than focusing on one specific task (Tech product verification), the bill creates a new designation (Advanced Pharmacy Technician) that will allow the pharmacist to delegate the following to the advanced tech:
1. perform final product verifications
2. administer vaccines
3. administer COVID-19-related tests, influenza-related tests and HIV-related tests
SUMMARY
BILL NO.133
Saturday, April 27th is Drug Take Back Day. Dispose of unused medications responsibly and contribute to a safer, healthier community. Thank you to all of the volunteers and all those who participate in the day.
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The FDA has granted accelerated approval to Rezdiffra (resmetirom), making it the first FDA-approved medication available for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It is approved for adults with noncirrhotic NASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis to be used in conjunction with diet and exercise. Approval was based on data from the Phase 3 MAESTRO-NASH trial. Read more here.
Xolair (omalizumab) has been granted FDA approval for IgE-mediated food allergy in adult and pediatric patients 1 year of age and older for the reduction of Type 1 allergic reactions that may occur with accidental exposure to one or more foods. Patients who receive Xolair must continue to avoid the food allergen, and Xolair is not intended for emergency treatment of allergic food reactions. Read more here.
The FDA has accepted a New Drug Application (NDA) for midomafetamine capsules (MDMA) intended for use in combination with psychological intervention and other supportive services for individuals with PTSD. If approved, this would be the first MDMA-assisted therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy available. Read more here.
On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing with CEOs from J&J, Merck, and BMS regarding the high cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. While the CEOs offered policy recommendations to help reduce costs, they could not commit to reducing prices to levels comparable with list prices in other countries. Read more here.
As a manager, employee, parent, or simply as a human living in the 21st century, you have probably experienced information overload firsthand, and it's possible that you are even experiencing it right now.
In such circumstances, it can be difficult to make clear-headed and unbiased decisions. It is important to recognize when we are overwhelmed because we risk getting into a bias trap and making a wrong choice.
And since information overload is one of the most common bias traps and is a frequent component of our profession, let’s discuss how we can recognize that we are in a biased thinking mode.
Imagine you have hundreds of patient notes to go through over limited time. Your brain will recognize the pressure and will automatically use shortcuts to help you make fast assessments. Essentially, bias is a pattern recognition technique that our brain develops over time and keeps for quick reference, which helps ease the burden of information overload.
The two most common biases that people experience when facing an overwhelming amount of data are Confirmation bias and Anchoring bias.
Confirmation bias describes our underlying tendency to notice, focus on, and give greater credence to evidence that fits with our existing beliefs.
Let’s say you have a patient who reminds you of your relative whose condition was successfully treated with a certain therapy. Upon research, you will likely notice the literature supporting your beliefs and leave all other opinions without attention. Same bias you will experience when searching for the answer to your question in Google. You will likely give more credit to answers that are aligned with your beliefs, even if they are wrong.
The image is taken from the decision lab website https://thedecisionlab.com
Anchoring bias refers to our tendency to rely heavily on the first piece of information we encounter when making decisions. That’s why first impressions often play a significant role in how we think of people. We quickly develop a theory in our heads about a person’s background, intellect, ability to pay, and so forth.
Although bias is the mechanism that helps us avoid being paralyzed by constant information overload, it can affect our actions and decisions in relation to patients, our co-workers, and important processes.
Have you noticed this bias appearing in your workplace? Take some time to reflect on what actions you can take to create space and pause between what triggers your biases and how you react.
In an effort to promote further the exchange of ideas, integrate diverse perspectives, and enhance engagement the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee held its first live, in-person meeting in July. Our meeting was held in a central location for us to gather in Middletown. The restaurant's space played a significant role in breaking down barriers and facilitating open conversations. The inclusive environment encouraged us to share our thoughts and experiences openly, creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. As a committee member, I felt honored to be part of an initiative that sought to break down barriers and promote a culture of genuine acceptance and unity.
The meeting began with wisdom cookies AKA fortune cookies stuffed with DEI quotes. These delicious cookies were handmade by Vera Malkhasyan. Each quote served as a conversation piece in which each recipient talked about what the quote meant to them. This was a powerful exercise in which individual experiences were shared in a confidential and respectful manner. Openly sharing DEI experiences highlighted the importance of such gatherings at a live meeting.
We concluded the meeting with a presentation on implicit bias by Nicole Denouden. This presentation emphasized the role personal biases play in healthcare and how they can affect the populations we serve. As a newer pharmacist, I believe this type of presentation should be given to all who work in healthcare. It is difficult for most people to face their own biases. Providing an opportunity to discuss implicit bias in a supportive environment allows individuals to recognize, process and make it easier to digest.
As we move forward, it is crucial to keep the momentum going - continuously learning and evolving. By building on the lessons and connections formed during this meeting, we can collectively create a more equitable and inclusive environment for all, both within our organization and in the broader community.
Submitted by Christelle Bibo, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Member
Written by Tiana Tran
As a new pharmacist who graduated in 2022, I experienced pharmacy school and am now experiencing a residency as someone who was born in Generation Z. Generation Z includes everyone born from 1997 to 2012. We are the most ethnically and racially diverse generation, as well as the largest, making up about 27% of the US population. Generation Z has been touted as having a shorter attention span, being dependent on technology, and overall being a challenge to educators, among other things. However, it is important to understand that Generation Z was born during an era of change and progress. There may be some challenges that come with Generation Z, but these are challenges that will spur on change and innovation to the overall career of pharmacy. What is important is that we understand and wield the strengths of this generation.
For Generation Z, communication is widespread and abundant. With the use of social media, keeping in touch with a variety of communities and networks is instant and easy. This is something no other generation has had throughout their childhood. However, the challenge this comes with is the potential lack of face-to-face communication skills, especially for those born later in Gen Z and that grew up during the COVID pandemic. To adapt to this, it is important to offer chances for Gen Z to learn and grow - during class and IPPE/APPE rotations, students have chances to improve their communication skills as long as they are given early feedback. On the other hand, our strengths in digital communication can lend itself to the pharmacy world. We can connect to the local community much faster by utilizing social media, posting and spreading news with valuable information, and taking advantage of the technology. The network available today is incomparable to any past generation - capitalizing on Gen Z’s expertise in communication when it comes to projects, outreach, and more, will help expand pharmacy’s reach in the community.
Gen Z grew up with an abundance of information at our fingertips. Instant learning is available with a Google search, a YouTube video, or podcasts. We are skilled at finding exactly what we need in a short amount of time. This does come with a short attention span, as we are accustomed to obtaining information instantaneously. This can make lecturing harder as Gen Z students may find it difficult to pay attention. To adapt, teaching students how to use the right resources to find answers and spot misinformation, is important to emphasize early on. During class, it’s important to refer back to the applicability and usefulness of the information. Gen Z learns best when we have information readily available - we like infographics, visuals, tables and charts that can communicate a lot of information in a compact format. Furthermore, we can use our quick learning skills in practice - as APPE students, we are capable of answering follow-up questions with the appropriate sources. We are brimming with the ability to find new information and apply it as soon as possible. We are a generation that has the ability to absorb an abundance of information, pull out the pearls and relevant pieces, and apply it to several situations.
All in all, Gen Z has an overall drive to progress - we are the first generation of digital natives and so we have grown alongside the evolution of technology. We are extensively connected to one another. We have the potential to learn as well as teach information to all generations in innovative and creative ways. As a result, we can help drive the future and expand the practice of pharmacy - especially if we work together and learn from other generations as well.
Sources:
https://ipghealth.com/news/gen-z-a-generation-pharma-needs-to-understand
https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/generation-z-facts/
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITTEESubmitted by Teresa Papstein, MHA, RPh, BCNSP
We are pleased to share CSHP is partnering with the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy (UCONN SOP) Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to help support our some of our goals. This includes ensuring all patient populations of community have equal opportunities to access pharmaceutical care, provide advancement for all pharmacy professionals in every stage of education, career development, and offer mentorship to diverse groups in the pharmacy community.
CSHP members are invited to participate in several opportunities with UCONN SOP DEI. Some examples are listed below:
Here is the link for a general sign up to select the various ways in which you would like to support our DEI Committee’s initiatives with UCONN SOP: https://forms.gle/hmZdeUDecWcXpbpf9
To become involved in once monthly meetings to help achieve our DEI goals for CSHP, please sign up via our website Connecticut Society of Health System Pharmacists - Get Involved (cshponline.org). For any questions, please contact Teresa Papstein at Teresa.Papstein@bpthosp.org.
Since 1948, the Connecticut Society of Health-System Pharmacists has represented the professional interests and provided professional development for CT pharmacists, educators and pharmacists in training.
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Email: office@cshponline.org
Phone: 203-489-9861