Kenneth R. Baker, BS Pharm, JD

Why pharmacists need to be paying attention to the Trinity II case and its consequences.

Pharmacists must know state and federal rules on their right to refuse to fill a prescription based on religious beliefs. 

As robotics and other systems improve, the physical aspect of pharmacy dispensing is bound to change how pharmacists do their job.

Medication errors can't be completely eliminated, but can CQI programs keep them to a minimum?

Recent changes to Medicaid's reimbursement rules raise many confusing questions. Drug Topics' senior legal columnist sets out to clarify some key points

When pharmacies are planning their quality assurance or continuous quality improvement plans, they need to determine whether their goals are strictly conformity with state and federal requirements, or something more.

The best technique for counseling patients is a combination of Show & Tell and the Indian Health Services questions. If pharmacists could quickly decide which prescriptions needed extended counseling, they could employ this approach when it is most necessary. Now there's an algorithm for that.

Pharmacy mistakes can sometimes lead to injury or even death. Pharmacists can be held liable in a civil suit for money damages; now a pharmacist in Ohio may be convicted of a criminal charge in the accidental death of a two-year-old girl. It is possible that the effect of criminal liability upon professional practices will worsen outcomes rather than improve them.

A pharmacy risk manager can help reduce medication errors, improve patient safety, manage quality improvement, monitor claims and expenses, and improve healthcare delivery.

A safe workflow that's ingrained in pharmacists can do much to reduce the likelihood of drug errors.