Formulary Management, Hazardous Drugs Safety Information SaaS Provider Joins Group Purchasing Organization to Help Improve Patient, Healthcare Worker Safety

We are thrilled to announce that Rpharmy has been awarded a national group purchasing agreement for Drug Information and Surveillance Solutions with Premier Inc., a group purchasing organization, in a shared mission to enhance patient and healthcare worker safety through the use of Rhazdrugs and Formweb. This partnership underscores our collective commitment to improving healthcare outcomes.

Every hospital or healthcare facility is distinctive in two critical ways concerning hazardous drugs: their unique hazardous drugs list and how they communicate the safety information related to those drugs. Of course, there are regulations and requirements like USP <800> and NIOSH lists, etc., that dictate aspects of the list or the communication requirements, but outside of those standards, organizations have room to customize for their needs. 

One of those unique needs is to identify and communicate safety protocols to protect healthcare workers from unintentional occupational exposure to “illicit drugs” or what other organizations refer to as “street drugs.”

In 2023, Medical Design & Outsourcing reported just 23.1% of medtech industry CEOs were women, up from 21.8% in 2022. While the percentage of women in C-suite roles in the medtech industry continues to inch its way up, the industry still has a long way to go in promoting women's leadership.

This is one of many reasons why it is vital for women-owned businesses - especially in all aspects of healthcare - to seek the available certifications and promote talented, intelligent, hard-working women within their organizations. 

I practice what I preach and am proud to announce that Rpharmy has recently received certification in the Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program. The HUB Program is a state initiative designed to promote opportunities for businesses owned by minorities and women in the area of state procurement and contracting. It provides various opportunities for women-owned businesses to garner the attention of state agencies and consideration for upcoming contracts. 

To our long-time Rpharmy supporters and new acquaintances alike, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued trust and partnership. As our network has grown through recent events, online encounters, and customer referrals, we realize it's time to re-introduce the driving force behind our work. Plus, we have some exciting updates about our team to share with you. Read on! 

USP <800> compliance requirements touch a variety of healthcare leaders, professionals and departments across a vast and sometimes siloed healthcare system. This is made more complicated and challenging by the fact that USP <800> itself requires physical changes, equipment upgrades, and also many cultural changes across the system. 

Much like Oprah’s Favorite Things list, our blogs are gifts that keep on giving… YOU get a blog, YOU get a blog, YOU GET A BLOG! The blogs we selected to share here were not only the most popular throughout the year but also offered helpful information on various topics related to USP <800>, formulary, medication safety and patient and healthcare worker safety. Basically, if you read nothing else this month, check out these blogs. Be sure to let us know what’s on your mind for 2024, and we’ll work to cover it in a future blog. 

In blog #3 of our series about how hospitals are working to meet USP <800> compliance with little to no budget, we’ll share more challenges hospitals have faced as they attempt to piecemeal a homegrown USP <800> hazard communication program together vs. investing in a comprehensive technology solution. 

In blog #2 of our series about cost-cutting measures hospitals are taking in order to comply with USP <800>, we’ll discuss another area hospitals are trying to address manually - Assessments of Risk. 

The effort to comply with USP <800> is time and resource-intensive, requiring significant investments in workflow shifts, and technology upgrades. Many hospitals we’ve spoken with did not have an upfront budget to meet the many hazardous drug safe handling requirements of USP <800>, <795> and <797> and must dedicate large sums to new equipment, PPE and even major building renovations to meet new, stringent compounding requirements.