Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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6 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 6 More and more eye centers are turning to compounded eye drops to treat their cataract patients. These drops often combine several pre- or post-op medications into a single solution — think an antibiotic, a steroid and an NSAID for post-op, and a pupil dilation drug and an anti-inflammatory for pre-op. The drops can increase efficiency and the likelihood of patient drop compliance, but they tend to be available only through compounding pharmacies. So, how do you choose a compounder that's safe? Here are a few tips: • Know their status. First, look to see if the pharmacy is registered with the FDA and, if so, how they're classified, says Tracy A. Rhodes, RN, BSN, director of nursing at The Eye Center of North Florida in Panama City. Compounding pharmacies can be deemed 503A or 503B. Ones designated 503B must follow current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), which means they're subject to the same inspections and oversight as large pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to the FDA. While 503B pharmacies can prepare sterile compounds without a patient prescription, 503A ones must have individual prescriptions. You can check if a compounder is 503B at osmag.net/XzvY2G. • Do your homework. Ask the compounder to send you a copy of its state license, and if it's located out-of- state, a non-resident license from your state's pharmacy board, says Ms. Rhodes. You also want to search for any recalls on the FDA's website. "Make sure you check for their 'sister companies,' too," she adds. "And take extra care if you are planning to purchase from a pharmacy outside of the U.S." • Consider word of mouth. Heather Hernandez, RN, director of nursing at the Eye Surgery Center of Augusta in Georgia, says that after her docs saw the convenience of compounded post-op drops in action at another facility, she spoke to that ASC's administrator to find out which company she used, the costs and the overall experience. "We've seen the company's drops in practice, and the facilities I've spoken to really like working with them," she says. • Go with your gut. "If it seems to good to be true," notes Ms. Rhodes, "it usually is." — Kendal Gapinski SAFE SOLUTION Finding the Right Compounder for Your Cataract Drops • AVOIDING COMPLICATIONS Ensure the compounding pharmacy creat- ing your cataract medications is registered with the FDA.