ASHP national survey of hospital-based pharmaceutical services--1992

The results of a national mail survey of pharmaceutical services in community hospitals conducted by ASHP during summer 1992 are reported and compared with the results of earlier ASHP surveys. A simple random sample of community hospitals (short-term, nonfederal) was selected from community hospitals registered by the American Hospital Association. Questionnaires were mailed to each director of pharmacy. The adjusted gross sample size was 889. The net response rate was 58% (518 usable replies). The average number of hours of pharmacy operation per week was 105. Complete unit dose drug distribution was offered by 90% of the respondents, and 67% offered complete, comprehensive i.v. admixture programs. A total of 73% of the hospitals had centralized pharmaceutical services. Some 83% provided services to ambulatory-care patients, including clinic patients, emergency room patients, patients being discharged, employees, home care patients, and the general public. A computerized pharmacy system was present in 75% of the departments, and 86% had at least one microcomputer. More than 90% participated in adverse drug reaction, drug-use evaluation, drug therapy monitoring, and medication error management programs. Two thirds of the respondents regularly provided written documentation of pharmacist interventions in patients' medical records, and the same proportion provided patient education or counseling. One third provided drug management of medical emergencies. One fifth provided drug therapy management planning, and 17% provided written histories. Pharmacokinetic consultations were provided by 57% and nutritional support consultations by 37%; three fourths of pharmacist recommendations were adopted by prescribers. A well-controlled formulary system was in place in 51% of the hospitals; therapeutic interchange was practiced by 69%. A total of 99% participated in group purchasing, and 95% used a prime vendor. The 1992 ASHP survey revealed a continuation of the changes in many hospital-based pharmaceutical services documented in earlier surveys (e.g., growth in clinical services, ambulatory-care services, computerization) and identified static areas that merit the attention of pharmacy leaders (e.g., provision of complete, comprehensive i.v. services).

Professional paths chosen by past recipients of ASHP Foundation fellowships

Past recipients of ASHP Foundation fellowships were surveyed to determine their professional activities and the impact of the fellowships on their careers. Questionnaires were mailed to 92 former fellowship recipients. Questions covered the respondents' education and postgraduate training, employment, job and career satisfaction, opinions on the ASHP Research and Education Foundation Fellowships Program, publications and presentations, achievements, experience, honors, and demographics. Respondents returned 77 usable questionnaires, for an 83.7% response rate. Most respondents worked primarily in academia or teaching; one fourth primarily taught. Most of the respondents indicated a positive attitude about both their professional careers and the ASHP Foundation Fellowships Program. Respondents have published (alone or as coauthors) 477 research articles and 359 professional articles; they have given 548 podium presentations and 438 poster presentations at national or regional scientific or professional meetings. Some respondents commented that the program helped them develop needed professional skills and urged that the program be continued. Some suggested that funding be increased to two years and that scoring and selection criteria be revised. Others suggested that the stipend be increased, the results be disseminated, and certain fellowships be re-established. The former ASHP Foundation fellows surveyed have made substantive contributions to the advancement of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science. ASHP Foundation fellowships seem to have favorably affected the professional careers of these fellowship recipients.

Extemporaneous compounding activities and the associated informational needs of pharmacists

The results of an ASHP survey of extemporaneous compounding activities and the associated informational needs of selected pharmacists are reported. A questionnaire on extemporaneous drug formulations was mailed in September 1989 to 517 pharmacists with presumed interest in or knowledge of extemporaneous compounding activities. There were 235 questionnaires returned by recipients, for a net response rate of 45.6%. Of these 235 questionnaires, 210 were usable for the analyses. Eighty percent of the respondents practiced in hospitals. The respondents listed 314 single-entity and combination drug formulations that are frequently compounded in their institutions but for which adequate information on stability was judged not to be available. Oral suspensions were the most commonly listed dosage forms for which stability information was deemed to be needed. Other frequently reported informational needs pertained to the preparation of topical and ophthalmic drug formulations and pediatric dilutions. Data on the patient age groups involved, the usual routes of administration, and the approximate total volume and dose (volume) per patient were also reported for each drug formulation. Pharmacists perform a broad range of extemporaneous compounding activities, and further efforts are needed to supply practitioners with pertinent information on extemporaneous drug formulations.

ASHP national survey of hospital-based pharmaceutical services--1990

The results of a national mail survey of pharmaceutical services in community hospitals conducted by ASHP during May through July 1990 are reported and compared with the results of earlier ASHP surveys. A sample of community hospitals (short-term, nonfederal) was selected randomly from the population of community hospitals registered by the American Hospital Association. Questionnaires were mailed to each director of pharmacy. The adjusted gross sample size was 881. The net response rate was 66% (582 usable replies). The average number of hours of pharmacy operation per week reported by the respondents was 96. Complete unit dose drug distribution was offered by 89% of the respondents (up from 74% in 1987). About 70% offered complete, comprehensive i.v. admixture programs (essentially unchanged from 1987). Most of the hospitals (70%) had centralized pharmaceutical services. A computerized pharmacy system was present in 64% of the departments, and 75% had at least one microcomputer. More than 90% reported participation in adverse drug reaction and drug-use evaluation programs. Some 80% participated in drug therapy monitoring. Almost half of the respondents regularly provided written documentation of pharmacist interventions in patients' medical records. Approximately one third provided patient education or counseling, and one third provided drug management of medical emergencies. A well-controlled formulary system was in place in 58% of the hospitals; therapeutic interchange was practiced by 49%. A total of 98% of the respondents participated in group purchasing, and 96% used a prime vendor. Half of the departments served as training sites for pharmacy students. Less than half had a staff development program, but about two thirds supported continuing-education activities for pharmacists. The 1990 survey revealed a continuation of the changes in many hospital-based pharmaceutical services documented in earlier surveys and identified static areas that merit the attention of pharmacy leaders.

On-line intergrated library system: bibliographic access and control system of Washington University School of Medicine

The on-line integrated library system is a relatively simple and logical concept. The perception that many library functions can be incorporated within one system, using a single data base, has led a number of practitioners to independently develop such systems. This paper describes the Bibliographic Access and Control System (BACS), developed by the Washington University School of Medicine Library, and identifies some of the underlying principles, components, and capabilities of this system from the vantage point of operational experience over one year.