Zhao,Rui-yi, He,Xiao-wen, Shan,Yan-min, Zhu,Ling-ling, Zhou,Quan, Zhao,Rui-yi, He,Xiao-wen, Shan,Yan-min, Zhu,Ling-ling, and Zhou,Quan
Rui-yi Zhao,1 Xiao-wen He,1 Yan-min Shan,1 Ling-ling Zhu,2 Quan Zhou3 1Clinical Nurse Specialist Section, Division of Nursing, 2Geriatric VIP Care Ward, Division of Nursing, 3Department of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China Background: Diabetes patients are complex due to considerations of polypharmacy, multimorbidities, medication adherence, dietary habits, health literacy, socioeconomic status, and cultural factors. Meanwhile, insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents are high-alert medications. Therefore it is necessary to require a multidisciplinary team’s integrated endeavors to enhance safe medication management and use of antidiabetic drugs.Methods: A 5-year stewardship intervention program, including organizational measures and quality improvement activities in storage, prescription, dispensing, administration, and monitoring, was performed in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, People’s Republic of China, a 3,200-bed hospital with 3.5 million outpatient visits annually.Results: The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University has obtained a 100% implementation rate of standard storage of antidiabetic drugs in the Pharmacy and wards since August 2012. A zero occurrence of dispensing errors related to highly “look-alike” and “sound-alike” NovoMix 30® (biphasic insulin aspart) and NovoRapid® (insulin aspart) has been achieved since October 2011. Insulin injection accuracy among ward nurses significantly increased from 82% (first quarter 2011) to 96% (fourth quarter 2011) (P<0.05). The number of medication administration errors related to insulin continuously decreased from 20 (2011) to six (2014). The occurrence rate of hypoglycemia in non–endocrinology ward diabetes inpatients during 2011–2013 was significantly less than that in 20 more...