Joint Commission Seeks Input on Potential National Patient Safety Goals

       The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has released for review a list of draft goals and requirements, from which the 2006 National Patient Safety Goals will be chosen. The annually updated National Patient Safety Goals are designed to require healthcare organizations to protect patients from the negative impact of specific healthcare errors. The draft goals include requiring organizations to achieve and maintain an organization-wide culture of safety, encouraging patients’ active involvement in their own care, and preventing patient harm associated with healthcare worker fatigue. Other possible setting-specific goals include:
• Preventing healthcare associated decubitus ulcers
• Reducing the risk of harm associated with emotional and behavioral crises
• Reducing the risk of harm from abuse or exploitation in the healthcare organization
• Ensuring the safety of assisted living facility residents with dementia and other mental health disorders.
       The full text of the potential goals on the list is posted on the Joint Commission website, http://www.jcaho.org, and has been distributed for comment to healthcare professionals, providers, consumers, and other stakeholders.
       A panel of well-known patient safety experts, as well as nurses, physicians, risk managers, pharmacists, and other professionals who have hands-on experience in addressing patient safety issues in healthcare settings, has developed the list of potential goals. Each year, this Sentinel Event Advisory Group reviews the current goals and requirements and makes specific recommendations for any changes.
       For more information, call 630-792-5936 or e-mail jhoppe@jcaho.org.

IMPAX Receives Tentative FDA Approval for Generic Version of Ditropan XL

       IMPAX Laboratories, Inc. announces that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted tentative approval to the company’s Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for a generic version of Ditropan® XL (oxybutynin chloride) 5-, 10-, and 15-mg extended-release tablets. Alza Pharmaceuticals markets Ditropan XL for the treatment of urge urinary incontinence.
       Final approval is contingent upon either the resolution of pending patent-infringement litigation brought by Alza against IMPAX or the expiration of the 30-month stay process under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and expiration of any generic marketing exclusivity. Final approval is also dependent upon FDA’s evaluation of any new information subsequent to this tentative approval.
       “This is our first ANDA approval this year,” says Larry Hsu, PhD, President of IMPAX Laboratories. “We are pleased to add this to our product portfolio and will work diligently with our partner to launch this product upon final approval.”
       For more information, visit http://www.impaxlabs.com.

Assisted Living is the First Choice for Thousands of Older Americans

       Aging Americans want the independence and choice that assisted living facilities promise, but experts say that reality often does not live up to their expectations. According to the Long Term Care Community Coalition (LTCCC) and the Coalition of Institutionalized Aged and Disabled (CIAD), which have extensively studied assisted living arrangements throughout the nation, staff and managers of assisted living environments are committed to making the facilities meet the residents’ desires but often have a hard time doing so. Competing needs of residents, their children, managers, and other staff make it difficult to create a lifestyle that is “just like home” for residents. Although fulfilling the promise of assisted living is very hard to achieve, experts say it can be done with the right tools.
       The demand for this type of arrangement created a boom in the assisted living industry between 1998 and 2000, when the number of assisted living communities increased more than 33%. With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, LTCCC and CIAD developed 4 resource guides to empower assisted living residents, staff, and consumers to create environments that offer independence, choice, and control for residents. The new resource guides aim to effectively maximize residents’ living experiences by facilitating discussion between assisted living staff and residents and offering solutions that will further independence for residents.
       “The Guide For Potential Residents” helps the potential resident and his or her family choose an assisted living community that is the right fit for the resident.
       “The Guide For Current Residents” helps people already in assisted living assess whether their residence meets their expectations and suggests ways to work with staff and other residents to make it better.
       “The Guide For Assisted Living Managers” helps managers make their management vision a reality by providing practical tips and case studies that help staff meet residents’ needs and overcome typical obstacles.
       “The Guide For Assisted Living Direct Care Staff” is a resource that recognizes that staff members know the residents the best and can implement changes to create the most satisfying environment for the residents.
       “Unlike other guides, these provide practical advice for those who have the most influence over creating independence, choice, and control in an assisted living situation, specifically potential and current residents and their families, managers, and staff,” says Geoff Lieberman, executive director of CIAD. “A variety of obstacles exist that hinder a resident’s ability to lead an independent lifestyle. These guides aim to initiate further discussion about these obstacles and concerns and offer solutions for overcoming most of them.”
       For more information, visit http://www.assisted-living411.org.

Bancroft Joins HEALTHPOINT as Tissue Management Marketing VP

       Michael E. Steadman, President of HEALTHPOINT, Ltd., Tissue Management, an affiliate of DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announces that Robert E. Bancroft has joined the Tissue Management division of HEALTHPOINT as Vice President, Marketing.
       Mr. Bancroft was formerly senior marketing director for Global BOTOX® at Allergan, Inc.
HEALTHPOINT’s current marketing focus is incontinence-related skin problems, chronic wounds (ie, pressure, venous, diabetic ulcers) and associated skin conditions like periwound dermatitis and maceration, and burn therapies.
       While at Allergan, Mr. Bancroft contributed to the significant success of the BOTOX business by overhauling the therapeutic business plan, defining the global competitive strategy, and leading a cross-functional team in developing the life-cycle management roadmap for the franchise.
       Mr. Bancroft began his career in sales of topical ophthalmics for Allergan’s US eye care business in the late 1980s before rising to senior director of global marketing. A 1987 graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Mr. Bancroft completed his Master of Business Administration degree in marketing and finance in 1996 at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
       For more information, visit http://www.healthpoint.com.