A NEW Anticoagulation Safety Pilot Project kicks off on 2-West October 1, 2008. This will be a four-week pilot project. Full hospital implementation is expected by January 1, 2009.

A new Anticoagulation Summary Flowsheet is now available in Clinicomp to help guide therapy. To access the new Clinicomp Anticoagulation flowsheet, click on "Summary Screens" in the top menu bar and then select "Anticoag."

Several new guidelines have been developed based upon the CHEST 2008 Anticoagulation Supplement. These tools will be available on the Sharpnet under A for Anticoagulation Safety and will be posted in the 2 West dictation areas.

Pharmacists will be monitoring all anticoagulated patients on the unit to ensure compliance with goal expectations and will be following up with physicians when necessary.

The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) 3E REQUIRES institutions to reduce the likelihood of patient harm associated with the use of anticoagulation therapy, defined as warfarin, IV heparin, and treatment doses (1mg/kg) low molecular weight heparin (Enoxaparin - Lovenox®).

Please contact Electa Stern at 4485 with any questions.

Papain containing drugs are no longer available. The FDA has removed them from the market.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered companies to stop marketing unapproved drug products that contain papain in a topical dosage form. Most papain-containing drugs are marketed under trade names. These include Accuzyme, Allanfil, Allanzyme, Ethezyme, Gladase, Kovia, Panafil, Pap Urea, and Ziox.

Topical drug products containing papain have historically been marketed without approval; there are no approved topical drug products containing papain. The FDA is taking this action because adverse events with use of topical papain drug products reported to the agency raise serious safety concerns regarding these products. These drugs can produce harmful or near fatal effects including hypersensitivity resulting in anaphylactic reactions.

Are you interested in seeing a recently published issue of the E-Bulletin?