Maximizing Safety, Minimizing Waste: The Financial and Clinical Case for Ready-to-Use IV Bags

Live CPEL Recertification Credit

Preventable medication errors remain a significant patient safety, quality, and financial challenge in the United States, with preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) from injectable medications impacting an estimated 1.2 million hospitalizations annually. Intravenous (IV) medication errors can occur at multiple stages of the medication-use process and commonly involve incorrect diluents or dilution error, incorrect dose or infusion volume, wrong route, administration technique errors, omission, and incorrect timing. Additionally, increasing workload and stress have been associated with an increased likelihood of compounding errors, with error rates rising as the volume of IV preparations increases.

As medication-use experts, pharmacists are well positioned to evaluate strategies that enhance medication safety while simultaneously improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. Timely administration of IV medications is also a critical component of optimal patient care and is emphasized across numerous clinical practice guidelines, particularly in time-sensitive conditions where treatment delays can adversely affect outcomes. This symposium will address the role of ready-to-use (RTU) premixed IV bags in reducing IV medication errors and drug waste, improving workflow efficiency, and facilitating timely IV medication administration.

Tuesday, Dec. 8
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET

Symposium Location: Room W109 A, Level 1, Orange County Convention Center, West Building

Come early! Seating is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lunch is provided for this activity.

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Registration is required for the webinar.

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Speakers

John Hertig, PharmD, MS, CPPS, FASHP, FFIP Activity Chair
President
Hertig Healthcare Advising, Inc.
Adjunct Faculty
Purdue University
Indianapolis, Indiana

Dr. John Hertig is Founder of Hertig Healthcare Advising and Adjunct Faculty at Purdue University (Indianapolis, USA). Dr. Hertig lectures around the world and publishes on a variety of patient safety, leadership, administration, and health policy topics. He is an Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Medicine Access and serves as Secretariate for ‘Patient Safety First: A Collaborative for Evidence-Based Medicines’ which unites diverse stakeholders to protect patient safety by encouraging use of trusted and tested medicines.

Dr. Hertig is a former Member of the United States Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. He holds national and international appointments, including with the International Pharmaceutical Federation, where he is Treasurer for the Hospital Pharmacy Section, and as Past-President of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies – Global (ASOP).

Dr. Hertig received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from Purdue University (USA). He completed a PGY1 pharmacy practice and PGY2 health-system pharmacy administration residency at The Ohio State University Medical Center while also obtaining a Masters degree in Health-System Pharmacy Administration from The Ohio State University (USA). He is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), a Fellow of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (FASHP), and a Fellow of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FFIP).

Michael Stepanovic, PharmD, MS
Assistant Professor
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Michael Stepanovic is Assistant Professor at the UNG Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Stepanovic's work focuses on health-system pharmacy administration and leadership, pharmacy supply chain, and patient safety. He earned his PharmD from Purdue University, completed a PGY1/PGY2/MS Health-System Pharmacy Administration & Leadership residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and a post-doctoral fellowship in pharmacy leadership and technology commercialization at UNG. He is actively involved with the International Pharmaceutical Federation and ASHP, where he has helped lead the development and advancement of global standards for hospital pharmacy practice. Dr. Stepanovic also serves as Vice Chair of the Collaborative for Evidence-Based Medicine and contributes to advancing pharmacy practice, education, and policy.

Target Audience

This activity was planned to meet the educational needs of pharmacists in leadership positions including pharmacy executives, managers and supervisors, front-line clinical pharmacists and those in product procurement roles who can identify specific opportunities for realizing benefit from the use of RTA IV medications.

Learning Objectives

Describe clinical safety data pertaining to the reduction of bedside administration errors when utilizing ready-to-administer (RTA) solutions.
Evaluate the financial impact of ready-to-use (RTU) IV bags, including their effects on compounding waste, labor costs, and product shelf-life compared with traditional compounding.
Discuss the potential impact of RTU IV bags on minimizing medication turnaround times and improving adherence to time-critical therapeutic guidelines.

Agenda

11:30 a.m. – Welcome and Introductions
John Hertig
11:35 a.m. – Smart Solutions: Elevating Medication Safety with Ready-to-Use (RTU) IV Bags
John Hertig
11:50 a.m. – Enhancing Value: Optimizing Workflow with RTU IV Bags
Michael Stepanovic
12:25 p.m. – System to Bedside: Enhancing Patient Care Through Timely Medication Administration
John Hertig
12:50 p.m. – Faculty Discussion, Questions and Answers
All Faculty

Accredited for CPE

ACPE #: 0204-0000-26-426-L04-P
CE Credit: 1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)
Activity Type: Application-based
Activity Fee: No charge

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