The association between number of learners and pharmacist and technician levels of burnout.

Purpose: Little is known about the relationship between learner load and pharmacist and pharmacy technician burnout. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between burnout and the number of learners (residents, students, and new employees) assigned to pharmacists or pharmacy technicians.

Methods: A validated survey to measure burnout and professional fulfillment was administered to employees of a university health system's pharmacy service in 2019.

Implementation of radio-frequency identification technology to optimize medication inventory management in the intraoperative setting.

Purpose: Manual restocking and tracking of noncontrolled medications in anesthesia workstations (AWSs) is complicated and time intensive, provides several opportunities for error, and lacks perpetual inventory transparency regarding expiration and lot number. This pre-post study assessed the impact of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology on restocking of noncontrolled medications in AWSs in relation to workflow, improved patient safety due to reduced restocking errors, and restocking accuracy and efficiency, as well as the estimated costs of on-site medication RFID tagging versus purchase of pretagged products.

Summary: Pre- and postimplementation process steps were mapped.

Interventions to reduce waste and improve billing compliance with medications in single-dose vials.

Purpose: The purpose of this process improvement project was to implement features in the electronic health record to help reduce inappropriate drug waste and Medicare billing noncompliance for injectable drugs in single-dose vials in outpatient settings.

Methods: The pharmacy department mapped processes from order entry to dose administration and claims processing. They used the process map to identify gaps that could lead to inappropriate drug waste.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors reduce community-acquired pneumonia hospitalization and mortality.

Background: Pneumonia is a global disorder and a common reason for prolonged hospitalization. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) have pleiotropic effects that support a role in modulating pneumonia, but results have been controversial.

Objectives: The present study was conducted to elucidate an ACEi-induced pneumonia benefit in at-risk neurologically impaired population and to determine whether a mortality benefit exists.