WSU 2013 Pharmacy Honors Convocation - Comments of Dean Rick Slaughter By: RandyatWayne … Continue reading →

The curiosity of a soft-spoken 28-year-old pharmacy assistant in Peterborough uncovered the medication error that went undetected at four other hospitals and saw more than 1,200 cancer patients receive diluted chemotherapy cocktails over the past year. Craig Woudsma noticed that bags of intravenous medication from Marchese Hospital Solutions, a new supplier to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre, had to be refrigerated, while those from the old supplier did not. It was enough to give Woudsma a feeling something was amiss. He compared the two labels and noticed the Marchese one had less information on it, and that the numbers didnt match the electronic worksheet with the patients individualized chemotherapy recipe. It just raised questions and, at any point during a process like this, you dont want to have questions, said Woudsma, testifying at a Queens Park social policy committee meeting where the diluted chemotherapy scandal is being investigated. A total of 1,205 Canadian cancer patients received diluted doses of chemotherapy medication over the past year. One-hundred-and-fifty patients have died since the diluted treatment began to be administered in February 2012. Its unclear what, if any, role the diluted medication played in their deaths. Hospitals have said Marchese supplied diluted bags … Continue reading →

A pharmacy assistant from the Ontario hospital that first detected watered down chemotherapy drugs was praised for his "keen eye," but he doesn't accept the label of "hero." "It's just part of the process, it's part of our job, and it just happens that this check that we made had a broader impact than we certainly would have anticipated," Craig Woudsma said Tuesday. "But definitely not a hero, no," he said. Speaking at a meeting of the Ontario legislature's standing committee on social policy, Woudsma, 28, of Peterborough Regional Hospital and senior pharmacy assistant Judy Turner described the chance discovery that revealed cancer drugs administered to 1,200 patients in Ontario and New Brunswick were diluted. The committee is looking into the oversight, monitoring and regulation of non-accredited pharmaceutical companies in the province. Last Tuesday, officials from the Peterborough hospital told committee members a red flag went up when an assistant checked the labels on IV bags provided by Marchese Hospital Solutions. It was the first day that the hospital used the new supplier. A staffer noticed a difference between Marchese's label for the chemo drug gemcitabine and the one from the previous supplier, Baxter. Woudsma said he began to question … Continue reading →

An Ontario pharmacy assistant who discovered that chemotherapy drugs administered to more than 1,200 cancer patients in Ontario and New Brunswick were diluted says he doesnt consider himself a hero. Its just part of the process, its part of our job, and it just happens that this check that we made had a broader impact than we certainly would have anticipated, Craig Woudsma, 28, said on Tuesday. But definitely not a hero, no. Video: Orangutan's cancer treatment similar to humans The pharmacy team in the small Peterborough hospital that caught the problem did not want to go public with their story initially, hospital officials said. Were not looking for glory or anything like that, Mr. Woudsma told an Ontario legislative committee investigating the drug scare. What we do is kind of the same thing day in and day out, and were there for the patients. Mr. Woudsma, who was certified as pharmacy assistant in 2007 and started working in the hospitals oncology department in 2011, said he started asking questions when he saw the bags from Marchese Hospital Solutions required refrigeration. Another pharmacy assistant noticed that the bags containing the drug-and-saline mixture from the previous supplier, Baxter, did not need … Continue reading →

KIRKLAND, Wash., May 8, 2013 -- Talyst partners with Bolton's Pharmacy, a privately owned pharmacy that services long-term care facilities. Bolton's will offer the Talyst InSite Remote Dispensing System in long-term care facilities to increase efficiency and reduce medication waste and errors. Bolton's Pharmacy offers a variety of services to ensure their customers receive the highest level of care including 24/7 "on-call" services, personal delivery of prepared medications, and personalized compounding of medications. "At Bolton's Pharmacy, we are continually perfecting our level of care," said Patricia Signore, president and owner of Bolton's Pharmacy. "InSite will revolutionize the way we provide pharmacist-approved medications to our facilities, ensuring even higher quality of care." "Bolton's Pharmacy is dedicated to their customers' needs," said Carla Corkern, Chief Executive Officer at Talyst. "InSite will help reduce waste, while providing residents access to medications 24/7/365, right at the facility." The InSite Remote Dispensing System enables secure, automated medication dispensing at the long-term care facilities to deliver pharmacist-approved, on-demand medications 24/7/365. It can quickly dispense pharmacist-approved medications right before each medication pass and on-demand to facilitate new residents, STAT orders, first doses, and PRNs. InSite virtually eliminates medication waste and reduces the number of trips to and … Continue reading →