Resident Choice of Pharmacy vs. Facility Choice of Medication Distribution System

Do you use a pharmacy that has adopted the Opus system or a similar system? Have you specified that any pharmacy who does business with your facility must use the Opus system including the part where the pharmacist generates the MARS and physician order forms and provides other services?
If so, you may run afoul of [...]

They’re After Aleve Now

Doubtless, you’ve all heard the news about Vioxx and Celebrex and the allegation that those drugs increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Now an Alzheimer’s Prevention Study is being halted because Aleve, one of the medications they are using in the study, contains naproxen, the same ingredient contained in Celebrex. The subjects of [...]

“Who’s on First?” regarding Employee Misconduct Registry Appeals at APS

The State reorganization was bound to cause some confusion as agencies reformat and try to fill in the gaps forgotten by the Legislature. We’ve had occasion to look into the issue of what is going to happen to the appeals that concern placement of an employee on the Employment Misconduct Registery. It appears that these [...]

Double Penalties

If you have a pending nursing home Civil Penalty case based on a survey that predates September 1, 2003 and you have already paid a Federal Civil Monetary penalty, the Fort Worth Court of Appeals has rendered a favorable decision. The case is The State of Texas v. Haltom Medical Investors, L.L.C. d/b/a Haltom Convalescent [...]

Adjusting To The Medicare Drug Prescription Plan

The Robert Pear from the New York Times has published a piece opining that confusion will be caused by the fact that the Medicare Drug Prescription Plan may cause confusion for nursing home residents as a result of the fact that residents will be allowed to choose between two or more government subsidized plans. The [...]