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Biomedical subjects

M H Stolar

Publications and source records attributed to M H Stolar.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Quality assurance of pharmaceutical services: an objective-based planning strategy.

Methods of planning an objective-based quality assurance program are described. The major steps in the planning are as follows: (1) List the primary pharmacy functions and their respective components; (2) prepare objectives for each function and its components; (3) establish priority of the objectives; (4) convert the highest priority objectives into criteria and their respective standards; (5) develop methods and procedures for determining compliance with the criteria and standards; (6) develop and organize the quality assurance program operating procedures; and (7) implement the program. Following this plan should help assure than the objectives for which a pharmacy's routine activities are conducted are consistently achieved.

Goals↗
PubMed1981

National survey of hospital pharmacy technician use.

Results of a national survey of nonfederal hospitals on the use of pharmacy technicians are presented. A random sample of nonfederal hospitals in the U.S. that employ a pharmacist (either full- or part-time) was selected; the sample size was 808. Survey questionnaires were mailed to directors of pharmacy at those hospitals. The response rate was 83.4%. Survey results are reported as percent of total respondents +/- three sampling errors. Overall, 75.4 +/- 5.8% of hospitals use pharmacy technicians; more larger hospitals use technicians than do smaller ones. The most common reason for not using pharmacy technicians was insufficient workload. For all hospitals, 43.8 +/- 7.2% do not have enough technicians, usually because of insufficient funds. Pharmacy directors preferred that technicians be trained in formal program (51.7 +/- 5.4%), and most preferred training (either formal or on-the-job) be conducted in-house (60.2 +/- 4.5%). Respondents were overall slightly favorable toward both accreditation of technician-training programs and certification of individual technicians, but only a small group had no opinion--large groups of respondents had either positive or negative feelings on the issues. Data collected on approximately 2600 technicians at the respondents' hospitals showed that most technicians were high school graduates who have been working as a technician about two years and were trained informally on-the-job.

Pharmacy Service, Hospital↗
PubMed1980

Interpretation of research data: hypothesis testing.

The application of statistical tests to the evaluation of hypotheses is discussed. The statistical test is used to determine whether or not a hypothesis is correct by telling the researcher how likely it is that the results of an experiment are due to chance alone. Generally, a null hypothesis is set up stating that there is no difference between the control and experimental samples. The data are than collected and analyzed, and the null hypothesis is either accepted or rejected. The researcher, before beginning actual experimentation, should establish a level of significance to indicate how certain he wishes to be that the results are not due to chance alone. Traditionally, this level is set at 95% or 99% (expressed as a level of significance of 0.05 or 0.01, respectively). In using these tests, two types of error are possible. The null hypothesis can be rejected when it is in fact true (Type I error), or it can be accepted when it is false (Type II error). Since all statistical tests are based on certain assumptions concerning the data, the test applied to experimental results must be chosen to fit the data (e.g., collection methods, distribution type). for these reasons, statistical tests should be chosen before the experiment, and the experimental procedures should be tailored to fit the statistical test so that the validity of the analysis will be maximized.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1979

Assuring the quality of intravenous admixture programs.

Several aspects of quality assurance (QA) methods in i.v. admixture programs are discussed, and a basic framework for developing QA programs for admixture services is presented. The objective of QA is to insure that admixture products: (1) are therapeutically and pharmaceutically appropriate to the patient; (2) are free from microbial and pyrogenic contaminants; (3) are free from undesirable levels of particulate or toxic contaminants; (4) contain drugs in correct amounts; and (5) are labeled, stored and distributed under principles of good drug control. Three types of QA criteria bases which may be used as indicators of quality are discussed (resources, facilities and organization; required procedures; end-products or results). Because end-product monitoring has certain limitations in the admixture setting, QA must rely heavily on procedure-centered review methods. General guidelines for developing QA programs are outlined. Adherence to procedure is the key to assuring the quality of admixture products. In developing a QA program, the highest priority should be given to the education and training of admixture personnel, particularly with respect to aseptic technique and pharmaceutical calculations.

Drug Combinations↗
PubMed1979

Hospital pharmacy purchases and inventories.

The results of the hospital pharmacy purchases and inventories portion of a 1978 national mail survey of pharmaceutical services in short-term hospitals are reported. A sample of 815 hospitals was selected randomly from among 5,200 U.S. short-term hospitals that employ a pharmacist on at least a part-time basis. The inventory question had a response rate of 67.7%, the purchasing question, 62.2%; inventory turnover was calculated based on a response rate of 60.5% to both questions. Inventories were inordinately large in small hospitals. Inventory turnover rates, which increased with hospital size, were somewhat less than optimal in small and medium hospitals. The Pacific region's inventory/bed and purchases/bed values were substantially greater than those of any other region. Large hospitals had a 20% higher annual purchases/bed figure than the smaller hospitals, perhaps because of their relatively greater volume of outpatient services. Based on their respective demand (as measured by adjusted inpatient days), the drug purchases of the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions were less than expected, while the Mountain and Pacific regions' drug purchases were much greater than expected. Total 1979 purchases of pharmaceuticals and related supplies by pharmacies in all short-term hospitals are estimated to reach $2,215 to $2,772 million.

Hospital Bed Capacity↗
PubMed1978

Drug use review: operational definitions.

A distinction is made between drug use review (DUR) studies and programs. DUR studies can be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative studies involve the collection, organization and display of estimates or measurements of amounts of drug use. Qaulitative studies are multidisciplinary operations which collect, organize, analyze and report information on the rationality of the drug use base. A DUR program is an ongoing method of assuring the quality of drug use through the employment of standards and efforts to correct drug use not consistent with these standards; the effectiveness of corrective actions is measured.

Drug Utilization↗
PubMed1978

Model for a formal, prospective antibiotic use review program.

A model for conducting prospective review of antibiotic orders is proposed. Before the drug is dispensed, a screening procedure is set up in which the incoming antibiotic drug order and the patient's drug profile are reviewed against previously established criteria. Noncompliance with any of the criteria is followed up as soon as possible with the prescriber who must either justify the noncompliance or authorize the changes necessary to achieve compliance. The drug is then dispensed. A prospective antibiotic review program combined with selective retrospective audits would be effective in assuring rational antibiotic use.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1977

Conceptual framework for drug usage review, medical audit and other patient care review procedures.

The following concepts are discussed: (1) quality assurance programs, (2) drug usage review, (3) utilization review, (4) peer review, (5) medical audit, (6) patient care audit and (7) medical care evaluation studies. A framework within which all types of hospital quality assurance mechanisms can be constructed is proposed and their interrelationships are described. The pharmacist's particpiation in the hospital's overall quality assurance program is stressed in two main areas-drug usage review, performed jointly with the medical staff, and quality assurance of pharmaceutical services, a peer review function of the pharmacy profession. These services are primarily drug distribution and control, drug information, clinical pharmacy, continuing education, and other pharmacy and pharmacist functions. Both functions may be viewed as parts of the pharmacy audit, one of several patient care audits within the facility. Pharmacists in skilled nursing facilities have quality assurance responsibilities similar to those of hospital-based pharmacists.

Drug Utilization↗
PubMed1976

National survey of selected hospital pharmacy practices.

The incidence of 10 selected hospital pharmacy programs in short-term hospitals which contained a pharmacy was surveyed. A short questionnaire was mailed to a national sample of 738 hospitals. The 10 programs surveyed were: unit dose drug distribution; pharmacy-prepared i.v. admixtures; pharmacy-controlled drug administration; radiopharmaceutical dispensing; drug usage review; use of computers in the dispensing process; 24-hour pharmacy service; participation in group purchasing; pharmacy operation of central supply; and pharmacists' authority to select the brand or supplier of drugs. In addition, the volume of drug and supply purchases was determined. A large number of pharmacies (41%) belonged to a group purchasing plan, and a high percentage (67%) reported that pharmacists had authority to select the source of supply for all drug orders unless noted otherwise by the prescriber. Less than 10% of the hospitals had both complete unit dose drug distribution and intravenous admixture programs; an additional 10% had implemented such programs partially. Only 17% of the pharmacies in large hospitals were open 24 hours a day. Computer-assisted medication dispensing was used by 13% of the large hospitals and 5% of the small hospitals. Total pharmacy purchases for all short-term hospitals in 1974 was estimated to be 1.5 billion dollars.

Computers↗
PubMed1975

Quality assurance for hospital pharmacy. Part I: Basic concepts.

The basic concepts of quality assurance are discussed as they apply to hospital pharmacy practice. The terms norm, criteria, standard, structure assessment,process assessment, and outcome assement are defined. The interrelationships among the following five steps in the quality assurance cycle are reviewed: definition of quality, quality assessment, education and change, redefinition of quality, and reassessment of quality. Finally, the importance of research in the quality assurance process is discussed.

Education, Pharmacy, Continuing↗