COMPLEX NON-STERILE COMPOUNDING: LEAN CONCEPT TRAINING

Compounding is an integral part of pharmacy practice and is essential to the provision of healthcare. In response to numerous tragic patient outcomes, a result of the lack of attention to the main principles of USP , the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy implemented Continuing Education requirements for those pharmacists performing and/or overseeing complex non-sterile compounding. Personnel involved in compounding require additional, specific training and periodic retraining beyond the training needed for routine dispensing duties. A thorough quality assurance program for compounded preparations requires documentation of both training and skill and competency.

Per Massachusetts General Law (Part 1/Title XVI/Chapter 112/Section 391) all licensed compounding pharmacies must certify that employees engaged in sterile compounding, “have been trained in lean concepts, which are tools that assist in the identification and steady elimination of waste and promote continuous improvement in quality and efficiency.” This module satisfies this requirement.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, the participant should be able to:

Define lean concepts and explain ideas behind the methodology
Describe new regulations in Massachusetts related to lean concept training

Demonstrate how lean concepts can improve the pharmacy environment
Explain the 5S Methodology and other methods to incorporate lean concepts into the pharmacy workplace