Pharmacy Specialties & Clinic is First to Achieve PCAB’s New Distinction in HDH
CARY, NC (PRWEB) October 04, 2017 -- Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB), a service of Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), is pleased to announce the first recipient of its Distinction in Hazardous Drug Handling (HDH). Pharmacy Specialties and Clinic (PS&C) of Sioux Falls, SD, a PCAB-accredited pharmacy since 2011, was the first to undergo the on-site Distinction in HDH survey, which focuses on practices for handling hazardous drugs in healthcare settings aimed at promoting the safety of patients, workers, and the general public.
“PS&C is to be commended as one of the early adopters of USP 800,” said Jon Pritchett, Pharm.D., RPh., ACHC Associate Director of Pharmacy. “USP 800 was developed with the safety interests of the public and healthcare workers in mind. By embracing these new guidelines, PS&C has not only demonstrated its commitment to quality and compliance with the industry’s latest benchmarks for safety; it’s also helped to lead the transformation to the next era of compounding pharmacy practice.”
Noting that some pharmacies are already compliant or close to complying with both the infrastructure and standards of practice aspects of USP 800, Pritchett continued, “This Distinction allows those pharmacies that are currently compliant to distinguish themselves while permitting others to assimilate these changes over a longer timeframe.” USP 800 was published on February 1, 2016; however, implementation was delayed until December 1, 2019, to permit entities additional time for execution. Pharmacies seeking to achieve a Distinction in HDH must do so in combination with PCAB Sterile or Non-Sterile Compounding Accreditation or another ACHC Pharmacy accreditation.
“We are proud to be the first pharmacy to achieve HDH Distinction,” said Cheri Kraemer, RPh., President of PS&C. “PCAB strengthens our pharmacy processes as it guides us to meet the industry’s highest standards, USP 795, USP 797, and now USP 800 for hazardous drugs. It is important that pharmacies are not only compliant with the most robust standards for safety and quality, but that healthcare workers are educated and aware of best practices that concern their own safety and that of their patients.”
With a broad array of pharmacy compliance solutions, including accreditation programs for specialty, infusion, and long-term care, as well as non-sterile and sterile compounding services, ACHC is positioned to be the solution of choice for all clinical settings as well as for payors, manufacturers, and regulatory bodies.
Beginning July 2014, PCAB became a service of ACHC, offering programs for non-sterile (ref. USP 795) and sterile (ref. USP 797> compounding services. PCAB assesses the compounding process based on a specific set of standards that concentrate on the quality and consistency of compounded medications while incorporating performance improvement and ongoing compliance requirements. AIS Inspections provide a customizable compliance solution for boards of pharmacy, including a thorough review of compounding practices as they relate to USP 795 and USP 797. ACHC has taken additional steps to meet market needs by offering specialty distinctions in Oncology, Infectious Disease Specific to HIV, and Hazardous Drug Handling. With a comprehensive suite of educational resources, ACHC is also committed to helping its customers maintain continuous compliance.
ACHC is a nonprofit accreditation organization that has stood as a symbol of quality and excellence since 1986. The organization has CMS deeming authority for Home Health, Hospice, and DMEPOS and a Quality Management System that is certified to ISO 9001:2015. ACHC is the provider’s choice for accreditation because of its personal Account Advisors, relevant and realistic standards, competitive pricing, and a friendly, consultative approach to accreditation. Accreditation by ACHC reflects an organization’s dedication and commitment to meeting standards that facilitate a higher level of performance and patient care.
For more information on ACHC Accreditation programs, or to download ACHC Accreditation Standards,
please visit http://www.achc.org or contact [email protected] or (855) 937-2242.
Customer Service, Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc, http://www.achc.org, +1 855-937-2242, [email protected]
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