Category: Federal Forum Posters
Purpose: Delays in medication administration on hospital wards are a common type of medication error that can lead to patient harm and increased healthcare costs. This quality improvement project was initiated as a result of an increase in medication incident reports at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (LSCDVAMC) related to delayed administration of time sensitive antibiotic orders, defined as once, now, and stat doses. The purpose is to reduce the administration of time sensitive antibiotic orders by identifying process defects in the medication administration process and implementing process improvements through utilizing Lean Six Sigma approaches.
Methods: This quality improvement project will be a continuous evaluation of once, now, and stat antibiotic orders for patients admitted to the general medicine ward at the LSCDVAMC beginning July 15, 2018. The antibiotics to be evaluated encompass a variety of characteristics that may impact the medication administration process including Pyxis stock, non-Pyxis stock, refrigerated, non-refrigerated, restricted, non-restricted, intravenous and oral. For each medication order, documented times of all aspects of the medication administration process will be collected: prescriber ordering, pharmacy verification, nursing verification, and nursing administration from barcoded medication administration (BCMA) data and the electronic medical record. Time of day and day of the week will also be evaluated as secondary metrics. As needed orders and those placed in the Emergency Department will be excluded. Improvements will be developed to address process inefficiencies and defects resulting in delayed antibiotic administration.
Results: Not applicable
Conclusion: Not applicable
Rachel Badovick
– PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Independence, OH145 Views