Pharmacy workload benchmarking: Establishing a health-system outpatient infusion productivity metric.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Current productivity assessment models lack the ability to measure the quality of pharmacy services through workload validation. The goal of our efforts was to create a model to more accurately assess workload at multiple outpatient infusion centers. METHOD: Current procedural terminology codes were identified as representative of the key drivers of pharmacy workload. Fourteen current procedural terminology codes representing medication orders were selected and categorized into eight distinctive groups associated with varying amounts of pharmacy workload. A three-month average of current procedural terminology volumes were calculated and used to create a workload baseline. RESULTS: Our study found a usable productivity assessment and coefficient to compare relevant clinical workload across outpatient oncology sites. The current procedural terminology codes were readily retrievable from our system electronic medical record. By assigning activities, e.g. clinical review, verification, barcoding, batch preparation, we were able to compute a workload and then adjust staffing to achieve a median coefficient across sites. DISCUSSION: This study evaluated the use of administration current procedural terminology codes for an outpatient oncology productivity model. Based upon our analysis, it can be successfully used to determine workload for pharmacists and technicians across variable locations. We believe it is the first study to demonstrate a productivity model for this setting.

Initiation and preliminary evaluation of an oncology pharmacy training course for staff pharmacists.

INTRODUCTION: There is currently a disparity between oncology pharmacy job openings and PGY2 trained pharmacists completing residency training each year. As a result, pharmacists without specialized training in oncology are filling much needed oncology positions and may need on-the-job oncology training. To improve oncology knowledge among non-PGY2 trained pharmacists working in oncology positions, Novant Health coordinated an Oncology Pharmacy Training Course (OPTC). OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to assess efficacy of the OPTC through evaluation of post-intervention oncology knowledge. Secondary objectives included efficacy of each lecture, assessment of knowledge improvement in those with and without residency or chemotherapy training, and assessment of satisfaction with the OPTC. METHODS: This was a prospective, cohort study. All pharmacists expressing interest in the OPTC were included unless PGY2 oncology residency trained or Board-Certified in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP). Participants were invited to attend twice monthly lectures and were evaluated using questionnaires at baseline, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: At the 3-month evaluation, 29 pharmacists completed the per-protocol evaluation. Knowledge scores increased from a mean of 29.6% to 52.2% (p < 0.01). Ten participants were chemotherapy trained. Baseline knowledge scores were slightly higher in the chemotherapy-trained than training naïve participants (mean 42.5% vs. 27.4%). Both groups experienced significantly improved knowledge scores at 3 months (mean 59% and 48.1% respectively, p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Implementation of a formalized OPTC can improve oncology knowledge among staff pharmacists in a community hospital system. This improvement in knowledge is consistent regardless of baseline chemotherapy training.