How Can We Transform Outpatient Pharmacy Safety Through Data, Culture, and Accountability? 

In this installment of our Healthcare Affirmations series, we're spotlighting Audrey Kostrzewa, PharmD, MPH, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Medication Utilization Pharmacist, whose dual role in academia and health systems bridges the gap between teaching the next generation and tackling one of pharmacy's most pressing challenges: systematic safety in outpatient settings.

Every day, nurses make thousands of judgment calls that shape safety at the bedside. In this installment of Healthcare Affirmations, we’re spotlighting Leah, an Oncology Nurse Educator at mid-sized healthcare system on the East Coast, whose work turns complex safety policies into usable action for frontline teams. 

In this installment of our Healthcare Affirmations series, we’re spotlighting Erica Bane, System Medication Safety Officer at a large healthcare system, whose career journey took her from the operating room to overseeing medication safety across an entire health system. 

When we first set out to reduce exposure to hazardous drugs, our work centered on our trusted PharmD partners. Over the past five years, as we’ve helped health systems comply with USP <800> and protect their workers, one truth has become clear: nurses play a critical role in keeping everyone safe.

The overall turnover rate for oncology nurses is approximately 27%, which jumps to up to a staggering 40% among early-career nurses in their first or second year, according to a podcast by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).

Did you catch the blog Laura wrote recently about our time in Transylvania?  If not, check it out!  One thing our long flights and car rides afforded us was the time to catch up on our reading list.

At Rpharmy, we pride ourselves on the relationships we've built with our clients over the years. These trusted partnerships often lead to eye-opening conversations—conversations that help us understand the real challenges healthcare teams face and how we can better support them. One such discussion recently centered on a deceptively simple but critical question.

Rpharmy has been on the road again, connecting with pharmacy professionals and healthcare leaders at events across the country, including the 2025 ONS Congress. We always love the opportunity to meet with our valued customers and those just getting to know us.

At ONS, we had truly insightful conversations with oncology nurses about their hazardous drug safety programs. One recurring theme? Communication gaps. Many nurses shared that their facilities still struggle to clearly communicate safety protocols related to hazardous drug handling.

This got us thinking: “Does the pharmacy’s obligation stop at the door?” 

In other words, once the safety protocols are determined and documented, is it up to the nurses and other healthcare workers to access and follow them? 

We say: Absolutely not. And USP <800> agrees. 

Our passion for protecting healthcare workers and patients stems from deeply personal experiences. In 2000, we tragically lost my paternal grandmother to a preventable medical error—a devastating reminder of what's at stake. Meanwhile, my maternal grandmother dedicated 40 years of her life to nursing. This family legacy drives our mission every day: to protect dedicated healthcare professionals like my grandmother Maggie while preventing other families from experiencing the loss we felt with my other grandmother Billie. Our commitment isn't just professional—it's profoundly personal.

Did you know there are still spreadsheets posing as effective formulary tools? I know, right?