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Please read the following information about this continuing pharmacy education activity before accessing the presentation using the link located at the bottom of this page.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity provides 1 hour (0.1 CEU) of continuing pharmacy education credit (ACPE Activity #204-000-10-466-H05P).

This is an online activity consisting of audio and slides for one presentation, a post-test, and an activity evaluation tool. Participants must view the entire presentation, take the activity post-test, and complete the course evaluation to receive continuing pharmacy education credit. A minimum score of 70% is required on the test for credit to be awarded, and participants may print their official statements of continuing pharmacy education credit immediately. The estimated time to complete this activity is 1 hour. This activity is provided free of charge.

This continuing pharmacy education activity was planned to meet the needs of pharmacists in a variety of practice settings, including large and small health systems, other health-care settings where compounded sterile products (CSPs) are prepared, and academia. This activity would be particularly beneficial for pharmacists, pharmacy managers, leaders, and educators who are interested in patient safety, technology, and future directions in pharmacy practice.

The process of preparing compounded sterile products (CSPs) is one that requires compliance with strict guidelines and procedures to minimize errors and ensure patient safety. This educational activity will provide an overview of why pharmacists should be concerned with current methods of preparing CSPs and the need to move to a safer preparation process that may include automation and the use of robotic technology for both hazardous and nonhazardous medications. The challenges of using these new technologies will be discussed, as well as lessons learned by those who have implemented robotic systems for this purpose. The financial impact of using these technologies will also be addressed.

At the conclusion of this knowledge-based continuing pharmacy education activity, participants should be able to

• Discuss the need for patient safety-related improvements in the process for preparing CSPs in many health-system pharmacy departments.
• Describe the pros and cons of the volumetric and gravimetric systems for preparing CSPs.
• Describe at least two types of quality control testing that should be done when implementing a robotic or a gravimetrically-based system for preparing CSPs.
• Describe at least two examples of improvements to patient care resulting from the integration of optical scanning and bar code verification into the CSP preparation process.
• Identify at least two steps involved in developing a strategic plan for improving a health system's process for preparing CSPs.

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education's Standards for Commercial Support and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education's Guidelines for Standards for Commercial Support, ASHP Advantage requires that all individuals who have control in planning or presenting educational content disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. This includes faculty, teachers, authors, activity directors, and members of planning committees. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if the individual or his or her spouse/partner has a financial relationship (e.g., employee, consultant, research grant recipient, speaker's bureau, or stockholder) in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the educational activity content over which the individual has control. The existence of these relationships is provided for the information of participants and should not be assumed to have an adverse impact on presentations.

All faculty and planners for ASHP Advantage educational activities are qualified and selected by ASHP Advantage and required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. ASHP Advantage identifies and resolves conflicts of interest prior to an individual's participation in development of content for an educational activity.

The faculty and planners report the following relationships:

William W. Churchill, M.S., B.S.Pharm.
Mr. Churchill declares that he has no relationships pertinent to this activity.

Carla J. Brink, M.S., B.S.Pharm.
Ms. Brink declares that she has no relationships pertinent to this activity.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from McKesson.

Use of Automation and Robotic Technology to Improve the Process for Preparing Compounded Sterile Products (50 min)*
William W. Churchill, M.S., B.S.Pharm.

Questions and Answers (Optional, 10 min)
William W. Churchill, M.S., B.S.Pharm.

*Allow additional time to complete the post-test and evaluation.

Print the post-test for your reference. Please note that to be eligible for continuing pharmacy education credit, you must go to the ASHP Learning Center and complete the test online.