An automated system effectively identified pneumonia and HF patients in real time. The system prompted interventions, which helped increase compliance with national quality indicators.

Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose Hospital discharge represents a difficult care transition for patients, with the potential for medication-related problems (MRPs) and adverse events. Medication reconciliation is widely accepted as a best practice to minimize MRPs at the time of discharge. Pharmacists can play a key role in identification and resolution of MRPs, although pharmacist reconciliation usually occurs after provider medication reconciliation. This workflow is often inefficient and results in duplication of work within the care team. A prospective pharmacist-led pilot program with preparation of discharge medication orders for provider review, also known as pended medication orders, was investigated to determine its impact on MRPs and discharge processing time. Summary Patient discharges from February through April 2022 were compared for 2 hospital medicine services at a large academic medical center. One group participated in the pilot workflow, while the other used standard discharge workflows. The pilot group had a significant decrease in the average number of clinical interventions made by a pharmacist after provider orders were placed (52.4% decrease; P = 0.03) and a nonsignificant reduction in the time from provider order entry to completion of the final pharmacist medication reconciliation (47.6% reduction; P = 0.18) compared to the group using standard workflows. Conclusion Pharmacist-led, prospective discharge medication reconciliation with pending of medication orders for provider review increases overall discharge efficiency. Data from this project and previous studies support an expanded pharmacist role in the discharge process and continued high-level collaboration between pharmacists and providers.

Providing medications used in emergency cardiovascular care (ECC) in an efficient and consistent manner is a cornerstone for achieving excellent patient care and safety. For neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients who move through different specialty areas in a tertiary hospital, it is essential to have a standardized protocol for these medications that can be followed regardless of location or practitioner. Our institution developed a protocol for intravenous push (IVP) and continuous infusion (CI) medications based on the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) guidelines. This protocol incorporates these guidelines into a single reference sheet (Emergency Drug Sheet) based on the patient's weight using a computer software program. The program provides the option for either pediatric (weight-based) or adult (weight-based and standard dose) dosing. The CI section uses a limited number of concentrations, which meets the JCAHO mandate. Commercially available products are used, when possible, in response to USP <797>. It also serves as the standard protocol for vasoactive medications in all patient care settings in conjunction with programmable infusion pump technology. The software program is easy to use; the Emergency Drug Sheet is easy to read; and the program is available everywhere in the hospital. The standard CI protocol used with the Emergency Drug Sheet reduces unclear orders, standardizes drug preparation, and decreases the time to medication delivery. It could serve as a model for community hospitals, as well as tertiary facilities.