The Medication Safety Adventure Trail: An Educational Intervention to Promote Public Awareness on Medication Safety.

Engaging patients in medication safety is essential but remains under-addressed in hospital settings. This pilot study aimed to assess the impact of an educational intervention-the Medication Safety Adventure Trail-on medication safety knowledge and satisfaction among hospital visitors. A quasi-experimental pre-post intervention using this educational tool was conducted over five days.

Simultaneous analysis of various anticancer drugs by supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Part I: Optimization of chromatographic separation.

This work presents a generic SFC-MS method for the simultaneous analysis of 22 anticancer drugs (fluorouracil, busulfan, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, dacarbazine, daunorubicin, docetaxel, doxorubicin, epirubicin, etoposide, gemcitabine, idarubicin, ifosfamide, irinotecan, methotrexate, paclitaxel, pemetrexed, raltitrexed, topotecan, treosulfan, vinblastine, vincristine). The separation conditions were optimized by screening nine stationary phases (2-picolylamine, bare hybrid silica, 2-ethylpyridine, fluoro-phenyl, octadecyl, diethylamine, diol, 1-aminoanthracene, zwitterionic modification), evaluating additives effects (2-5 % water, 20-50 mM ammonium formate, 0-1 mM ammonium fluoride), and adjusting the organic modifier composition (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetonitrile). The optimized SFC-MS method successfully analyzed 22 anticancer drugs, along with 5 additional challenging compounds (azacitidine, mitomycin, cisplatin, oxaliplatin, carboplatin), in 12 min, using a diol column (100 × 3 mm, 1.

Value Propositions for Digital Shared Medication Plans to Boost Patient-Health Care Professional Partnerships: Co-Design Study.

Background: Health authorities worldwide have invested in digital technologies to establish robust information exchange systems for improving the safety and efficiency of medication management. Nevertheless, inaccurate medication lists and information gaps are common, particularly during care transitions, leading to avoidable harm, inefficiencies, and increased costs. Besides fragmented health care processes, the inconsistent incorporation of patient-driven changes contributes to these problems.

Integrating automated dispensing cabinets into the medication dispensing process: feedback from the practice in European hospitals.

Objectives: Automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) offer improved medication safety, greater efficiency and return on investment. However, integrating ADCs into medication dispensing processes can be challenging in complex hospital environments. This study aimed to draft suggestions to help hospitals adopt ADCs.

Assessment of the surface contamination of the primary packaging of oral antineoplastic drugs and secondary packaging of chemotherapy preparations at a Swiss hospital.

IntroductionDue to the high toxicity of antineoplastic drugs, handling their packaging could lead to the chemical contamination of hospital environments and exposure risks to healthcare professionals and patients. This study aimed to assess the contamination of two main surfaces: the outer primary packaging of oral antineoplastic drug formulations (  =  36) available on the Swiss market and the surface of secondary packaging of injectable antineoplastic drug preparations (  =  60) produced by the pharmacy of a Swiss hospital and carriers used for transport (  =  5).MethodsSamples were collected using a validated wipe sampling method.

Financial impact of medication reviews by clinical pharmacists to reduce in-hospital adverse drug events: a return-on-investment analysis.

Background: Adverse drug events contribute to rising health care costs. Clinical pharmacists can reduce their risks by identifying and solving drug-related problems (DRPs) through medication review.

Aim: To develop an economic model to determine whether medication reviews performed by clinical pharmacists could lead to a reduction in health care costs associated with the prevention of potential adverse drug events.

Managing the COVID-19 health crisis: a survey of Swiss hospital pharmacies.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare systems immensely as of 2020. Switzerland's hospital pharmacies' responses during the first wave were surveyed with a view to improving the quality of pharmaceutical management in future health crises.

Methods: An online survey was sent to the heads of all of Switzerland's hospital pharmacies.

Game-based learning as training to use a chemotherapy preparation robot.

Introduction: In 2015, our university hospital pharmacy acquired the PharmaHelp robot system to automate part of its chemotherapy production. Complex technical use, downtime periods, and insufficient training caused a drop in motivation and disparities in operators' knowledge. We created a short, playful, standardized, gamed-based training program to address this, and evaluated its impact.

Game-based training to promote handwashing, handrub and gloving for hospital pharmacy operators.

Objectives: Adherence to handwashing, handrub and gloving procedures is mandatory for safe, aseptic drug compounding in hospital pharmacies. This study measured participants' satisfaction and effectiveness of a game-based training tool (Handtastic Box) developed to improve adherence.

Methods: Handtastic Boxes were played by pairs of pharmacy operators (introductory video, 1 min study of guidelines, game).

Development and evaluation of a blended learning training programme for pharmacy technicians' continuing education.

Objectives: The role of the pharmacy technician (PT) has expanded in recent years, requiring new competencies, better communications skills and high-level knowledge about drugs. The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a blended learning programme for PTs' continuing professional development.

Methods: A blended learning programme designed to enhance knowledge, skills and attitudes was created using a six-step approach to curriculum development for medical education.

A room of errors simulation to improve pharmacy operators' knowledge of cytotoxic drug production.

Introduction: We used an educational healthcare simulation tool called room of errors (ROE) to raise pharmacy operators' awareness of potential errors in a chemotherapy production process and assessed its impact on their knowledge and satisfaction.

Methods: Twenty-five errors (compiled from internal procedures, literature and our hospital's reported incidents) were categorised as static ( = 7, visible by the participant anytime) and dynamic ( = 18, made by a pseudooperator in front of the participant). Our simulated cytotoxic production unit (CPU) hosted the 1 h-simulation.

Development and retrospective evaluation of a clinical decision support system for the efficient detection of drug-related problems by clinical pharmacists.

Background: Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can help identify drug-related problems (DRPs). However, the alert specificity remains variable. Defining more relevant alerts for detecting DRPs would improve CDSS.

Patients' perceptions of conflicting information on chronic medications: a prospective survey in Switzerland.

Objective: The number of patients with chronic diseases and subsequent visits to various healthcare professionals has been rising over the past decades, exposing patients to potential risks of receiving conflicting medication information. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of conflicting information on medications perceived by chronic patients in Switzerland and to understand its impact on patients' medication self-management and navigation in the healthcare system.

Participants: This cross-sectional study included adult patients taking at least one prescribed medication for at least 6 months, who had visited at least two physicians in the past 3 months.

Full-scale simulations to improve disaster preparedness in hospital pharmacies.

Purpose: Assess whether full-scale simulation exercises improved hospital pharmacies' disaster preparedness.

Methods: Swiss hospital pharmacies performed successive full-scale simulation exercises at least four months apart. An interprofessional team created two scenarios, each representing credible regional-scale disasters involving approximately fifty casualties (a major road accident and a terrorist attack).

Use of simulation for education in hospital pharmaceutical technologies: a systematic review.

Objectives: Because of the inherent risks facing pharmacy technicians, and consequently also patients, initial and continuing education on hospital pharmaceutical technologies is essential. Simulation is a pedagogical tool now widely used in healthcare education. This study's objectives are to provide an overview of simulation's current place in the field of hospital pharmaceutical technology education, to classify these uses, and to discuss how simulation technologies could be better used in the future.

Development and Evaluation of an e-Learning Module for Low- and Middle-Income Countries on the Safe Handling of Chemotherapy Drugs.

Despite the growing use of chemotherapy drugs in resource-constrained settings, training opportunities on safe handling practices are lacking. This study's objectives were to develop and evaluate an e-learning training module on the safe handling of chemotherapy drugs to strengthen knowledge and practices in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The module's curriculum was developed using the Six-Step Approach for Curriculum Development for Medical Education.

Development and Proof of Concept of an Audit Toolkit for the Safe Handling of Cytotoxic Drugs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Purpose: Chemotherapies are considered high-risk drugs for patient and staff safety. Considering the rising burden of cancer and the increasing use of chemotherapy drugs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), promoting continuous improvements in the safety and quality of practices in these settings is essential. This paper describes the development and proof of concept of a toolkit to audit chemotherapy handling practices in the health care facilities of LMICs.

Impact of automated dispensing cabinets on dispensing errors, interruptions and pillbox preparation time.

Aim: This work aimed to evaluate the impact of automated dispensing cabinets on the dispensing error rate, the number of interruptions, and pillbox preparation times.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted across 16 wards in two departments (internal medicine and surgery) of a large teaching hospital. The study compared eight wards using automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) and eight using a traditional ward stock (TWS) method.

NeoCheck: a prescription-screening tool to optimise pharmacotherapy for hospitalised neonates.

Aims Of The Study: To develop a screening tool to optimise neonatal drug prescription, which is often based on low-quality evidence.

Methods: Neonatal pharmacotherapy recommendations were identified by literature review and synthesised into NeoCheck tool statements. In a two-round modified Delphi process, experts from Swiss neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) rated their agreement with individual statements using a five-point Likert scale (5 = totally agree).

Parenteral Nutrition Process Management for Newborn and Preterm Infants - A Preliminary Risk Analysis.

Background: There are variable practices in the management of the parenteral nutrition (PN) process in hospitals having a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In our hospital, PN is prepared partially on the neonatal ward by nurses but also at the central pharmacy by trained pharmacy technicians. A previous study showed a concentration non-conformity of 34% of on-ward PN preparations potentially resulting in under- or overfeeding of the patients.

Electronic monitoring of potential adverse drug events related to lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine during the first wave of COVID-19.

During Switzerland's first wave of COVID-19, clinical pharmacy activities during medical rounds in Geneva University Hospitals were replaced by targeted remote interventions. We describe using the electronic PharmaCheck system to screen high-risk situations of adverse drug events (ADEs), particularly targeting prescriptions of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPVr) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the presence of contraindications or prescriptions outside institutional guidelines. Of 416 patients receiving LPVr and/or HCQ, 182 alerts were triggered for 164 (39.