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04/26/17 BG -- New levalbuterol (XOPENEX) process CANCELED!!!

Pharmacy:

We have decided to CANCEL the new process for dating XOPENEX 0.31 mg and 0.63 mg ampules that was suppose to go live on Monday. We will continue with our current process of applying a blank expiration date for now.

The reason for this cancellation is that we expect individually wrapped doses to come to market on July 1st!

Thanks, Becky

From: Becky Ginn 
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2017 2:38 PM
To: grp pharmacy
Cc: Ron Stansell; Wayne Byford; Kevin Graves
Subject: MAJOR CHANGE - multi-pack levalbuterol (XOPENEX) nebs - exp dating
Importance: High

Levalbuterol Flyer for RTs

levalbuterol pharmacy instructions

Pharmacy Staff:

Beginning Monday, May 1, 2017, HH Main & HHWC Pharmacies will begin affixing the 14-day expiration dates, WITH the expiration date written in, to levalbuterol (XOPENEX) multi-dose packets (0.31 mg/3 mL and 0.63 mg/3 mL strengths). Respiratory therapists will no longer be required to do this task as this is now a Pharmacy responsibility. NOTE: Madison Hospital has already transitioned to this change.

Pharmacy will also manage outdating levalbuterol stock in the Pyxis machines by removing stock that does not have active orders and removing stock that is near expiration. This will be accomplished by:

1. the "Unload Rounds" list will prompt an unload of XOPENEX that does NOT have a current order
2. the daily Pyxis expiring pockets report will list product that is expiring in 7 days. We WILL NOT REMOVE PRODUCT UNTIL IT IS 3 DAYS BEFORE EXPIRING!

RETURNED OPENED PACKAGES, WITH MORE THAN 3 DAYS BEFORE EXPIRING, ARE TO BE REUSED! These opened packages will be returned to the carousel and dispensed if the expiration date is more than 3 days. Carousel cycle counts will be increased to every 2 days on these two pockets to assure expired/expiring product (product with less than 3 days before expiring) is removed from the carousel.

Pyxis Pockets will be set as “standard stock” only in machines with high-usage. (NOTE: 2E-M at Main and WC_4S-E at HHWC will have all strengths of levalbuterol loaded). New orders for XOPENEX 0.31 mg and 0.63 mg WILL BE pended and loaded for the patients

The following documents are attached:

"Levalbuterol Flyer for RTs" - this is posted in the Resp Therapy Department

"levalbuterol pharmacy instructions" - this will be posted in the pharmacies

Let me know if you have questions.
--

Becky Ginn, Pharm.D.
Huntsville Hospital
Pharmacy Manager - Central Operations