Selecting wrong meds can delay care

By Alison Betten, PharmD, BCCCP, Lutheran Pharmacy Manager

With the increasing number of formulary updates in Epic as we harmonize formulary across Intermountain, practitioners may encounter more non-formulary alerts when placing orders, especially with home medications. Please remember to carefully review and select the appropriate formulary alternative, including correct dose and frequency, when prompted by Epic.

In Pharmacy we’re observing that practitioners are not consistently selecting the formulary-approved alternatives Epic provides. As a result, it is falling on the pharmacy team to manually review and correct the orders to align with formulary requirements. This adds unnecessary workload and delays patient care.

Selecting the correct alternative is crucial to ensure:

• The correct medication is ordered according to the approved formulary.

• The appropriate dosage and frequency are selected to ensure continuity and safety in managing patient disease states.

• The avoidance of manual pharmacy intervention and potential delays in patient care.

Practitioners interested in reviewing Intermountain’s approved therapeutic interchanges can click here. However, as mentioned, it’s not necessary to memorize these or even consult the list when ordering medications. Epic will populate the appropriate formulary alternative for your approval.

Your attention to Epic’s selections helps streamline workflows and supports timely medication dispensing for our patients.

Thank you for your partnership in maintaining safe, efficient and compliant prescribing practices.