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DID YOU KNOW... | |
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. |
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STUART THE HEADLINER AT CPHA ANNUAL MEETING | Hartley Medical's own William Stuart has been asked by the California Pharmacists Association Foundation for Education to be a featured speaker on October 16 at their annual Compounders Day 2010 meeting. The topic: sterile compounding.
The focus? Facility guidelines for safe, sterile compounding in conjunction with USP Chapter 797. I will discuss: understanding the environment and environmental monitoring; employee training; ongoing validation of aseptic compounding skills; reviewing lab testing for sterile compounding, specifically in the areas of bacteria endotoxin and quantitative analysis. The 90 minute presentation will also touch upon the necessity for all pharmacies to strive to create an atmosphere of error-free compounding and continuous quality improvement. |
| IN THE NEWS | |
Organized medicine stands up against Medicare pay cuts
Medical societies sign a letter warning Congress that a 23% reduction could force some physicians to limit the number of Medicare patients they treat.
Preventing a 23% Medicare physician payment cut is one of several major tasks Congress faces when members return Nov. 15. The American Medical Association and dozens of other medical societies are reminding lawmakers that stopping the reduction before it takes effect on Dec. 1 is crucial to keeping Medicare sustainable.
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ABOUT HARTLEY MEDICAL | |
The national leader in intra-spinal therapy, Hartley Medical specializes in the compounding of quality sterile pharmaceuticals for infusion therapy clients throughout the United States.
Owned and directed
by William A. Stuart RPh, acknowledged pioneer in the field of pharmaceutical sterile compounding - Hartley, prior to its national expansion, established itself as the one of the most successful and professionally distinguished pharmacies in the state of California.
We now serve over 400 leading pain physicians and premier health care institutions across the nation.
Visit our web site |
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HARTLEY MEDICAL TAKES LEAD IN PUSH FOR MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT CHANGES
After several months of concerted effort by various physicians, industry representatives and pharmacists, Palmetto (contracted Medicare administer for California) has issued a new bulletin announcing changes in the reimbursement rates for IT medications administered through implantable pumps.
We are excited about the direction that Palmetto has taken in changing their reimbursements from invoices to a fee-per-milligram for each drug - and about the leading role that Hartley Medical has played in achieving this milestone. Called upon to speak with Medtronic representatives as well as key medical directors and physicians, Hartley Medical has successfully accessed the influencers in this matter. We are proud of our work...and look forward to the positive and significant effect these changes will have for doctors and client reimbursement in the future.
A note of caution: although our involvement has been significant and our recent success well earned, our work is not finished. We continue to actively educate Palmetto and urge them to reconsider reimbursement rates for each and every drug. In upcoming weeks, our clients will receive an email addressing this matter. The focus will be on current developments, new reimbursement fee schedules, and what you can do to help optimize this new system.
I will be hosting a conference call on October 21 regarding the changes, please contact me if you would like to participate in the discussion.
All the best,
P.S. We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send us an e-mail and let us know what you think - and what you'd like to see in future issues. |
SPEAKING OF STANDARDS: ZOULIKHA HASBELLAOUI, RPh. | |
"We met 12 years ago on the soccer field," recalls William Stuart. "It was a Saturday afternoon and our sons were competing...the conversation turned to, "What do you do" and we discovered a professional connection. Born in Dellys, Algeria, and a graduate pharmacist at the time, Zoulikha Hasbellaoui is now our Pharmacy Manager and an absolutely essential part of the team at Hartley Medical.
In every syringe compounded, Zoulikha is ultimately responsible for the quality of the final product. It is her ongoing priority to meet or exceed USP Chapter 797 requirements through:
· Proper personal education, training and evaluation (aseptic work process, cleaning procedures, gloved finger tip sampling, media-fill testing and syringe performance validation).
· Review of all batches of sterile product and all pertaining documentation, ensuring that the each batch meets laboratory testing (purity, accuracy, sterility and non-pyrogenicity) storage and quarantine specifications.
· Inspection of all labels; compounding documents; aseptic manipulation and sterilization procedures...to confirm correct identity, purity, strength of ingredients, and sterility of compounded sterile products.
· Observation and evaluation of staff member compounding from start to finish, four times each year - including syringe techniques and handling.
· Overseeing IV (Clean) room cleaning, air quality, and daily testing of humidity and temperature (always documented).
Zoulikha has a true passion for microbiology. She enjoys the challenge and the rewards of Quality Assurance testing and research. She is relentless in making sure that all necessary tests - from bacterial endotoxin testing to Fingertip Assessment - are performed accurately and carefully evaluated for consistency.
Her standards are of the highest order. That's why she has an honored place on our team and that's why her standards will continue to reflect our commitment, attention to detail and the insistence on the highest quality that has characterized Hartley Medical from day one.
Zoulikha Hasbellaoui, RPh. |
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SURVEY SAYS.... | |
We want to hear from you! Service to our clients has always been our first priority at Hartley Medical. In the interest of evaluating and improving our service to you, we will be conducting our Annual Client Survey this month.
Some of your staff will be receiving a survey in the mail and we encourage your participation in this important effort to better understand and meet your needs. We appreciate how valuable your time is - and we thank you in advance for your efforts. As a little added incentive...your completed survey will earn you a chance to win a new iPod Nano! The drawing will be held on November 15, 2010...so please, take a few moments and help us to help you. We value your input.
Please contact us if you would like to participate in the survey. |
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Disclaimer. The information contained in this publication is provided "as is" and without warranty, express or implied. Hartley Medical assumes no responsibility for any damages of any kind resulting from the procedures contained herein.
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WWW.HARTLEYMEDICAL.COM
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