108 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
108 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
# Pediatric Pharmacy Quality Policy
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| Document ID | POL-001 |
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| Title | Pediatric Pharmacy Quality Policy |
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| Revision | 1.0 |
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| Effective Date | [DATE] |
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| Author | [AUTHOR] |
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| Approved By | [APPROVER] |
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---
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## 1. Policy Statement
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[ORGANIZATION NAME] Pediatric Pharmacy is committed to providing safe, effective, and developmentally appropriate pharmaceutical care for infants, children, and adolescents. We strive for excellence in pediatric medication therapy through evidence-based practices, continuous quality improvement, and unwavering commitment to medication safety for our youngest patients.
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## 2. Quality Objectives
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Our pediatric pharmacy commits to:
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1. **Pediatric Patient Safety**: Ensuring accurate dosing calculations and age-appropriate formulations for all pediatric patients
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2. **Medication Error Prevention**: Implementing multiple verification systems to prevent calculation errors, wrong doses, and medication mix-ups
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3. **Regulatory Compliance**: Maintaining compliance with all applicable pharmacy regulations, USP standards, and pediatric-specific guidelines
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4. **Clinical Excellence**: Providing evidence-based pharmaceutical care appropriate to each developmental stage (neonate, infant, child, adolescent)
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5. **Family-Centered Care**: Engaging parents, guardians, and age-appropriate patients in medication education and counseling
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6. **Continuous Improvement**: Continually improving pediatric pharmacy processes through data analysis, error reporting, and quality initiatives
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7. **Staff Competency**: Ensuring all pharmacy personnel are trained and competent in pediatric-specific calculations, compounding, and safety protocols
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8. **Off-Label Use Management**: Documenting and monitoring off-label medication use with appropriate clinical justification
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## 3. Pediatric-Specific Commitments
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Top management and the pharmacy leadership demonstrate commitment to pediatric pharmaceutical care by:
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- Ensuring weight-based and BSA-based dosing verification for all pediatric orders
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- Implementing independent double-check systems for high-alert medications in children
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- Providing access to pediatric dosing references and calculation tools
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- Maintaining competency in pediatric compounding, including flavoring and age-appropriate formulations
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- Ensuring proper handling of neonatal medications, including dilutions and concentrations
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- Supporting pediatric medication safety initiatives and error prevention programs
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- Maintaining compliance with USP <795>, <797>, and <800> for pediatric preparations
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- Documenting and reviewing all pediatric medication errors and near-misses
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- Ensuring appropriate transition of care protocols from neonatal to pediatric to adult services
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## 4. Scope
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This policy applies to all personnel involved in:
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- Pediatric medication order verification
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- Dosing calculation and verification
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- Pediatric compounding (sterile and non-sterile)
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- Neonatal medication preparation
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- Pediatric chemotherapy preparation
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- TPN compounding for neonates and children
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- Vaccine storage and administration
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- Medication counseling for pediatric patients and families
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- Controlled substance management for minors
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This policy covers patients from birth through 18 years of age (or up to 21 years as defined by institutional policy).
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## 5. High-Alert Medications in Pediatrics
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We recognize that certain medications pose heightened risk in pediatric populations and require additional safeguards:
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- Concentrated electrolytes (potassium, sodium chloride >0.9%, calcium)
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- Insulin and hypoglycemic agents
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- Opioids and sedatives in neonates and infants
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- Chemotherapy agents
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- Anticoagulants (heparin, enoxaparin)
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- Neuromuscular blocking agents
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- IV medications requiring dilution or dose calculation
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- Medications with narrow therapeutic indices in children
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## 6. Dosing Safety
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All pediatric medication orders must include:
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- Patient's current weight (in kg)
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- Patient's age (or gestational age for neonates)
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- Indication for use (especially for off-label medications)
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- Dose expressed in appropriate units (mg/kg, mg/m², etc.)
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- Maximum dose limits verified
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- Calculation verification by independent pharmacist
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## 7. Communication
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This policy shall be:
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- Communicated to all pharmacy personnel and relevant clinical staff
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- Reviewed annually and updated as pediatric pharmacy practice standards evolve
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- Available to parents and guardians upon request
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- Integrated into new employee orientation and ongoing training
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## 8. Quality Monitoring
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Quality indicators for pediatric pharmacy include:
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- Pediatric medication error rates (by category)
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- Dosing calculation errors prevented
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- Compounding accuracy and sterility testing results
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- Time to preparation for stat neonatal/pediatric orders
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- Off-label use documentation compliance
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- Parent/guardian counseling completion rates
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- Staff competency assessment results
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---
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## Revision History
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| Rev | Date | Description | Author |
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|-----|------|-------------|--------|
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| 1.0 | [DATE] | Initial release | [AUTHOR] |
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