Pen or Vial? Improving Insulin Safety in your Patient Population

March 14, 2024

Insulin pen safety continues to be an area of concern for many health systems. Even with barcode scanning technology in place, five health systems have reported significant patient to patient exposures through insulin pens in the last ten years. During this presentation we will review gaps in the insulin pen process that can lead to exposure and review the steps Corewell Health has taken to mitigate risk.  The acquisition cost of insulin pens can be a barrier to implementation. Waste and disposal of partially used pens adds to pharmacy department expenses. The use of vials offers an opportunity to mitigate the costs of insulin, but also presents unique challenges and risks to consider.

Target Audience

 

  • Pharmacists
  • Pharmacy Technicians

Learning Objectives

Pharmacists learning objectives
1.    Identify gaps that can lead to inadvertent patient to patient exposure with insulin pens.
2.    Review the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Hierarchy of Effectiveness with Medication Safety Interventions. 
3.    Discuss risk mitigation strategies to reduce and eliminate patient harm from wrong patient exposures with insulin pens. 
4.    Describe the benefits and risks of using insulin vials in a hospital.
Pharmacy technician learning objective
1.    Describe the benefits and risks of using insulin vials in a hospital.
2.    Identify gaps that can lead to inadvertent patient to patient exposure with insulin pens.
 

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacy Technician
  • 1.00 General CE - Attendance
Course opens: 
03/14/2024
Course expires: 
05/13/2024
Event starts: 
03/14/2024 - 1:00pm CDT
Event ends: 
03/14/2024 - 2:00pm CDT
Add to calendar: 
Live Activity
United States

Faculty

Planning Committee

Gretchen Brummel, PHarmD BCPS
Pharmacy Executive Director
Communications and Education
Vizient

Jackie Stokes
Pharmacy Program Manager
Vizient

Tony Huke, PharmD, BCPS
Senior Pharmacy Executive Director
Vizient

Faculty

Megan Fletcher, PharmD, DPLA
Vice President of Pharmacy Services
Corewell Health West

Kerry Yamada, PharmD, BCPS
Clinical Lead Pharmacist-Family Medicine and Intensive Care
Postgraduate Pharmacy Residency Coordinator
University Health Lakewood Medical Center
 

Disclosure

As an accredited provider of continuing education, Vizient, Inc. is dedicated to ensuring this activity presents learners with only accurate, balanced, scientifically justified recommendations, and is free from promotion, marketing, and commercial bias. In accordance with The Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, all planners, faculty, and others in control of the educational content have disclosed the absence or existence of all financial relationships (of any dollar amount) with ineligible companies within the past 24 months.
 
Ineligible companies – those companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
 
It is Vizient’s policy that owners and employees of ineligible companies, and any individuals who refuse to disclose the absence or existence of financial relationships with any ineligible companies are disqualified from participating as planners or faculty.
 
FDA Off-Label Use
 
Faculty presenters are also expected to disclose any discussion of (1) off-label or investigational uses of FDA approved commercial products or devices or (2) products or devices not yet approved in the United States.
 
Disclosure Statements
 
Absence of Relevant Financial Relationships
 
None of the planners, faculty, or others in a position to control content for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
 
Disclaimer
The education provided through this activity is for continuing education purposes only. The views and opinions expressed in this activity are those of the faculty/presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vizient, Inc.

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, Vizient, Inc. is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
 
 

Pharmacists (CPE)

 
Vizient, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 contact hours for Pharmacists.
 
Universal Activity Number: JA0006103-0000-24-017-L05-P
 
Pharmacy Technicians (CPE)
 
Vizient, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 contact hours for pharmacy technicians.
 
Universal Activity Number: JA0006103-0000-24-017-L05-T
 
Other Healthcare Professionals (General CE Credit)
 
Vizient, Inc. will award all other healthcare professionals who successfully complete the activity a Certificate of Participation.  Various state license boards and credentialing bodies accept certificates of participation from accredited CE activities to meet CE requirements for license renewals and re-certification. It is the responsibility of the participant to contact their state licensing board and/or certifying body for verification on credit eligibility reciprocity.

 

 

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacy Technician
  • 1.00 General CE - Attendance
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