20 WAYS improving patient care & pharmacy cost containment Compounding Pharmacy Assessment Questionnaire (CPAQ™) by IACP Winter 201 1 issue I heal th system • infusion 55 Executive Vice President/CEO: David G. Miller, RPh Founded: 1991 Members: 2,100 Grassroots/Consumer Advocates: 159,527 FT Employees: 9 Telephone: (281) 933-8400, Missouri City, TX office (703) 299-0796, Alexandria, VA office Toll-Free Pharmacy Locator Service: (800) 927-4227 Fax: (281) 495-0602 Address: 4638 Riverstone Blvd., Missouri City, TX 77459 1321 Duke Street, Ste 200, Alexandria, VA 22314/ Washington, DC Headquarters Website: www.iacprx.org CPAQ™ helps hospital pharmacy directors evaluate compounding pharmacies for needed compounded medication services. Company Background The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) is a professional association founded in 1991 to protect, promote, and advance personalized medication solutions. The association represents more than 2,100 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, licensed and regulated by their individual state boards of pharmacy and located throughout North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. In addition, IACP currently represents 159,527 patients, physicians, nurse practitioners, and veterinarians through its ally grassroots organization, Patients & Professionals for Customized Care (P2C2). IACP is committed to ensuring the rights of physicians to prescribe, of pharmacists to prepare, and of patients to take personalized medication solutions that meet their unique, individual health needs. IACP offers a free Compounding Pharmacy Locator Service which can be accessed toll free at (800) 927-4227 or via IACP’s website at www.iacprx.org. Overview IACP has created a new tool to help hospital-based pharmacists, prescribers, and others who are trying to find means to alleviate the ever growing number of prescription products in short and long-term shortage situations identify compounding pharmacies with whom to work. IACP’s Compounding Pharmacy Assessment Questionnaire (CPAQ™) is designed to provide non-compounders with the necessary questions to ask a compounding pharmacy when considering working with them as a referral partner. IACP’s Compounding Pharmacy Assessment Questionnaire (CPAQ™) includes evaluation points in the following areas: • Regulatory compliance • Licensing – permits • Internal controls and quality assurance • Testing & verification • Site visits When originally conceived by IACP President-Elect Scott Karolchyk, RPh, FIACP, the CPAQ was to be a springboard to facilitate conversations between hospital pharmacists and compounding pharmacists about meeting drug shortage needs. As IACP’s Hospital Shortage Workgroup – led by Scott Karolchyk, Lisa Ashworth, RPh, and Linda McElhiney, PharmD, RPh, FIACP, FASHP – discovered during the month-long creation and review of this document, there are similar assessment tools in the market. Unfortunately, those are not comprehensive and miss many of the critical points which should be discussed about pharmacy compounding. In some instances, those tools were created with sponsorship from companies with a vested interest in positioning themselves as the “solution” to hospital drug shortages. IACP believes every compounding pharmacy that wants to pursue a professional relationship with a hospital – or other institution, clinic or practice group – should be able to do so based upon an unbiased dialogue without a preconceived conclusion. CPAQ helps ask and answer the right questions at just the right time in the right way. Testimonials “Drug shortages have been an ongoing problem for healthcare facilities and the number of drug products that are unavailable due to manufacturer backorders and discontinuation is on the rise,” says, Linda F. McElhiney, PharmD, RPh, FIACP, FASHP, compounding pharmacy operations coordinator, Indiana University Health. “These facilities are often trying to find substitutions for the drug products or alternative treatments and there is often a delay in the patients’ treatment. Compounding pharmacies may be able to prepare these medications using bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients; however, it may be difficult for the healthcare pharmacy administrators to know if the compounding pharmacy can provide quality compounded medications to meet their facilities’ needs because they are unfamiliar with the USP standards for compounding sterile and non-sterile preparations. The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) has developed a checklist of standards and criteria to assist the administrators in finding a suitable compounding pharmacy to meet these needs.” “IACP leadership recently participated in FDA’s conference on prescription drug shortages,” says Scott Karolchyk, R.Ph., FIACP, IACP president-elect. “While there were many good intentions expressed during the conference, there were no real solutions for now. Each day, pharmacists and physicians are grappling with making sure our patients get the medicines they need. What was clearly overlooked was how compounding pharmacists are providing solutions today as they work with U.S. hospitals, surgery centers, and practitioners to make those medicines available.” For More Information Please contact IACP at (281) 933-8400 or via email at iacpinfo@iacprx.org.
20Ways Winter 2011 Issue: Health System - Infusion
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