AuBurn LTC | 2025 Q3 Newsletter

Welcome!

Happy Summer! Please reach out to our pharmacy team if there are subjects or topics that you would like to see discussed in future issues of this newsletter.

MMR Vaccine

With the rise in measles cases, there are a few things to consider in our elderly population. People born before 1957 are generally considered to have natural immunity. People born between 1957 and 1968 may have received a less effective version of the measles vaccine, and would be candidates for at least one dose of the current MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine, if they wish. If you are unsure of the vaccination status, it is safe to get a MMR vaccine.

General Reminders

• If a medication has not arrived and it is being documented as not available multiple times in a row, please call the pharmacy to verify that order was received; or get a reason to document in the resident’s chart whether the medication requires a prior authorization or if we are waiting on cost approval from nursing leadership, resident, or DPOA.

• If your facility EMAR is integrated with the pharmacy, new and/or updated narcotic orders do not transmit to us, ONLY refill requests and orders. If you get a new narcotic order, please either fax or call into the pharmacy.

• If an IV Pump and/or Pole is being used from the pharmacy, please get those set out for return upon completion of IV therapy ASAP as the facility is being charged a per day rental fee.

Emergency Kits (Ekits) Best Practices

Please review what is in your ekit before calling the provider for orders, especially regarding antibiotics so they can be started right away. It is okay if you have to pull two pills to make one dose, for example: an order is received for Keflex 500 mg, but we only have Keflex 250 mg in kit, it is acceptable to pull two capsules.

To ensure ekits get refilled and replaced in a timely manner, please ensure that ekit slips are filled out COMPLETELY and faxed to the pharmacy. If slips are not being sent to the pharmacy, then we do not know that the ekit has been used. This applies to all three kits: IV, C2 narcotics, and regular bag.

We also recommend that if you are a facility that has a C2 narcotic ekit that you have a sign off sheet for every shift verifying that the ekit is still in the building.

LTC/SNF Survey Trends

• Stop dates on PRN psychotropic. Per CMS regulations, there are NO exceptions (exempt diagnosis, pay status, hospice) to this regulation

• Documentation of justification of non-CMS approved indications for antipsychotics including non-pharmacological interventions, previous medications, gradual dose reduction attempts, etc. *NOTE* that the statement “risk outweigh benefits” will not be sufficient justification for survey purposes

• Verify that hold parameter orders on applicable medications (usually cardiac meds and antidiabetic medications) are being followed

• Diclofenac Gel needs an amount to be applied on the order (2GM/4GM) and that the dosing card glued in the box is being utilized (see image)