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A coalition of healthcare groups today issued a series of wide-ranging recommendations to address the ongoing shortages of critical medications affecting patient care across the country. The American Hospital Association (AHA), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists), and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released the proposals, which provide suggestions for regulatory, legislative, and marketplace solutions to stem drug shortages, in advance of tomorrow’s public meeting hosted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Duke Margolis Center for Public Health Policy.

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ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, Pharm.D., Sc.D. (Hon.), FASHP, today attended a White House ceremony to commemorate the signing of S. 2553 and S. 2554, the “Know the Lowest Price Act” and “Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act,” respectively. ASHP, independently and as a lead member of the Steering Committee of the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, has long advocated for measures that would improve transparency in drug pricing.

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Healthcare teams in patient care settings can develop policies and procedures to minimize the impact of drug shortages by incorporating new guidelines published today by ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists). The ASHP Guidelines on Managing Drug Product Shortages provide a framework for responding to drug shortages and outline best practices to improve quality of patient care.

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ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists), the 45,000-member national association representing pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory care settings, is calling for swift action from policymakers to address the persistent shortages of critical medications in hospitals and health systems. Survey results released today by ASHP reveal the extent to which limited inventories of injectable opioids, small-volume parenteral (SVP) solutions, and other critical medications dangerously interfere with patient care and place a tremendous strain on daily operations in most hospitals across the country.

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The results of a survey released today by ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) illustrate the considerable impact shortages of small-volume parenteral (SVP) solutions are having on daily operations and patient care in most hospitals across the country.

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ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists), together with five other healthcare organizations, today sent a letter to Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) — the Vice Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations — asking Congress to take immediate action to address the public health crisis caused by persistent shortages of critical medications.

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ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) and the University of Utah Drug Information Service have developed a fact sheet that provides an outline of potential actions for healthcare organizations to consider in managing shortages of small-volume parenteral solutions (SVPs).

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Technologies that improve medication use have been adopted by nearly 100% of hospitals across the United States, according to the “ASHP National Survey of Pharmacy Practice in Hospital Settings: Prescribing and Transcribing – 2016.” Implementation of technologies such as electronic health records (EHRs), computerized prescriber-order-entry (CPOE) systems, and barcode-assisted medication administration systems support pharmacists in their efforts to increase medication safety and provide effective and efficient patient care.

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ASHP Opposes CMS Cuts to 340B Reimbursement

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ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) released five recommendations to facilitate optimal medication use for patients in acute and ambulatory care settings as part of the Choosing Wisely® campaign.

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Trusted, Evidence-based Resource Helps Practitioners Make Informed Drug Therapy Decisions

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A hospital engaged in a quality improvement program launched by ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) has identified weaknesses in existing antibiotic stewardship initiatives and implemented workflow changes that resulted in faster antibiotic administration. St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Wash., was recently featured in ASHP’s InterSections, which highlights the hospital’s team approach to improving infection treatment with IV antibiotics.

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ASHP announced that its Standardize 4 Safety initiative has finalized its list of recommended concentrations for adult IV continuous infusions. The list, which marks the first major milestone in Phase I of the initiative, is posted on ASHP’s Standardize 4 Safety website. ASHP also announced today that it is now seeking comments and discussion on dosage recommendations for compounded oral liquids. The comment period begins today and will remain open for 60 days.

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A sharp rise in prescription medication prices — driven by the introduction of new, expensive specialty medications and huge increases in the costs of older drug products with few competitors — drove an 11.7 percent increase in hospital and clinic spending on medications in 2015, according to a new report published in AJHP (American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy). AJHP is the peer-reviewed, scholarly publication of ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists).

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At the annual meeting of the ASHP House of Delegates during ASHP’s 2016 Summer Meetings and Exhibition this week in Baltimore, ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) approved a policy calling on Congress to ban all direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs and medication-containing devices.

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ASHP today announced the official launch of Standardize 4 Safety, a three-year, multiphase interprofessional initiative focused on creating and promoting national standard concentrations for intravenous (IV) and oral liquid medications. The launch marks the official release of the Standardize 4 Safety initiative information, including the first draft of the IV adult continuous proposed concentrations.

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ASHP and the ASHP Foundation announced the renaming of the former Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) to the Practice Advancement Initiative (PAI). The name change and debut of an updated website reflect pharmacists’ expanding patient care roles in both acute and ambulatory care settings as clinical specialists and generalists. It also focuses more broadly on transitions throughout the continuum of care.

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A new consumer infographic on SafeMedication.com reveals the five medication questions patients should always ask their pharmacist.

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ASHP and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) released a National Alert for Serious Medication Errors, recommending the replacement of dosage cups that measure liquid medications in fluid drams with cups that measure only in metric (mL).

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today that it will delay enforcement of Track and Trace requirements that were scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2015, until November 1, 2015. This policy change follows a formal written request by ASHP urging FDA to give hospitals and health systems more time to comply with the regulations.