The ultimate goal of PACE is to keep participants healthy and aging in place at home. For PACE pharmacy providers, one significant part of that mission is ensuring participants understand and adhere to their medication schedules. Each year, an estimated 700,000 people visit emergency rooms due to adverse drug events, Read more…
The National PACE Association (NPA) recently updated the PACE pharmacy performance measures, which are technical specifications pertaining to PACE participants. Of the 11 new measures, four specifically focus on quality. How will they impact PACE pharmacy services? While each of these measures are important and play a role in improving Read more…
At Grane Rx, we’re committed to providing the highest-quality LTC pharmacy services. Accordingly, we share an ongoing series of pharmacy updates from our Chief Clinical Officer. These keep you in the know on clinical topics related to long term care pharmacy and PACE pharmacy. Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is Read more…
As we know, all psychotropic medications are associated with adverse effects, especially in the geriatric population. Although antipsychotics have historically been associated with the most significant adverse effects, including an increased risk for falls, recent data suggests that antidepressants may be a more significant contributing factor of fall risks in Read more…
In any line of work, when an error occurs, you want to be able to accurately pinpoint the issue in order to prevent it happening again in the future. The need for such root cause analysis is magnified in health care, particularly when it comes to managing medications, because errors Read more…
According to the National PACE Association, nearly half of PACE participants have been diagnosed with dementia. Yet, even with the challenges of dementia, they’re living on their own with the help of caregivers. What is the role of PACE pharmacy services in helping manage dementia and mitigate its side effects Read more…
In less than a year, Pennsylvania will join the ranks of states offering managed care for long term services through their state Medicaid program. As we prepare for the roll-out, the question emerges: How will Community HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s MLTSS program, impact long term care pharmacy services? Over the past decade, Read more…
The admission process for Skilled Nursing Facilities is multifaceted and can be challenging. Timeframes for reviewing and accepting new admissions are becoming tighter, making timely pre-admission medication cost estimates vitally important. Pre-admission cost estimates help admissions coordinators gain a complete understanding of the costs of the medication regimen for a Read more…
By Jennifer Devinney, RPh, PharmD Polypharmacy is an often silent, but very serious, problem in PACE pharmacy today. It is defined as the administration of more medication than is clinically indicated, which represents unnecessary medication use. Thorough PACE medication management is key to limiting polypharmacy. Polypharmacy is especially prevalent in Read more…
When compared with long term care pharmacy, PACE pharmacy presents its own unique set of challenges. Because participants are in the home environment rather than in a long term care setting with clinicians on hand, questions, concerns and needs may arise at any hour of the day. That’s why around-the-clock Read more…