How to Earn Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation

How to Earn Pharmacy Compounding AccreditationHow to Earn Pharmacy Compounding AccreditationDrugcompounding made the wrong kind of headlines in October 2012 when U.S. health officials announced that patients injected with products prepared by the New England Compounding Center (NECC) were contracting and dying from fungal meningitis. The full impact of contaminated compounded medications on lives, dollars, and the professional reputation of pharmacy practitioners may not be known for years. What quickly became apparent in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state pharmacy board investigations, however, was that NECC personnel were not complying with laws regulating pharmacy compounding, nor adhering to best practices for ensuring drug compound quality and sterility and NECC was not accredited. Following an event such as this, prescribers and patients could understandably harbor misgivings about all compounding pharmacies. Assuaging those concerns requires pharmacists, student p harmacists, and pharmacy technicians to hold themselves to the highest standards for compounding. An excellent way to show the world you and your colleagues are doing so is to earn drug compounding accreditation. Introduction Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) accreditation indicates that staff involved in compounding have proper and ongoing training in preparing customized dosages that the pharmacy uses high-quality APIs and inactive materials and that all compounding procedures are fully documented and carried out in conformance with established formulas. PCAB accredits sterile and nonsterile drug compounding practices but does not vouch for nuclear pharmacy practices or pharmacies outside the United States. Significantly, Veterans Affairs medical centers can contract only with PCAB-accredited pharmacies. The PCAB has reviewed and certified personnel, facilities, and procedures at more than 100 American compounding pharmacies in 38 states since 2006. It draws exp ertise and funding from the American College of ApothecariesNational Community Pharmacists AssociationAmerican Pharmacists AssociationNational Alliance of State Pharmacy AssociationsInternational Academy of Compounding PharmacistsNational Home Infusion AssociationNational Association of Boards of PharmacyUnited States Pharmacopeia (USP) The Right People A PCAB-accredited pharmacy, according to the board, must demonstrate that all personnel affiliated with compounding are competent to perform their assigned duties. This applies to supervising pharmacists, staff pharmacists, student pharmacists assigned compounding duties and pharmacy technicians. Demonstrating competencies requires showing that staff members hold all relevant licenses, certifications, credentials, and registrations. As of Jan. 1, 2015, all compounding technicians at accredited pharmacies must be certified. Standards, Equipment, and Documentation Pharmacy personnel need to document compliance with USP 795 nons terile compounding and USP 797 sterile compounding standards. This means recording standard operating procedures on paper or in computers and keeping records that permit matching dosages with individual patients. The pharmacy must also have logs of how and when the stock is rotated, equipment is cleaned and calibrated, and materials are tested for quality and purity. Pharmacies seeking PCAB accreditation also need to prove they only compound with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other materials that meet USP and National Formulary standards, list all APIs on product labels and maintain certificates of analysis and materials safety data sheets for each substance they use. A significant requirement for full USP 797 compliance and PCAB accreditation is that pharmacies compounding drugs that pose high risks to patients health if they become contaminated must have cleanrooms that meet ISO-8 standards. PCAB emphasizes that using more-typical equipment like compounding aseptic isolators is not always sufficient to ensure sterility. Annual Fees Required PCAB accreditation depends primarily on the results of on-site inspections during which reviewers confirm personnel qualifications, check equipment and facilities, and ensure the accuracy of records and documents. Pharmacies applying for initial accreditation or reaccreditation pay the full cost of each inspection. Pharmacies also pay a one-time application fee and annual fees based on compounding volume.

How to Choose the Best References for Your Job Search

How to Choose the Best References for Your Job SearchHow to Choose the Best References for Your Job SearchHow to Choose the Best References for Your Job SearchIts important to have an arsenal of references at the ready during your job search. Heres how to select the right ones.Who will give me a good recommendation? Will they mention those mistakes I made in the first week? Choosing the best references to place on your list is one of the most important decisions you will make during the job search.fruchtwein employers want a list of references to attest to your abilities, skills,and integrity. They also wish to speak to people who witness your work and can report on day-to-day career activities. Most importantly, they want to verify the information you provided is accurate. Some applicants, however, do not know who to put on their list or how many, as well as hot not to incorporate them into their resume writing.No in-laws, outlaws, or kin,pleaseThe first rule of thumb is to never, e ver, place family members on your reference list. But rules are meant to be broken. If you worked as a carpenter for Uncle Bobs Table Repair Shop, of course, you list him. But this is the exception to the rule. Only list family who have directly supervised you and only for a job directly applicable to the one youre applying for.Toss the letters of recommendationAdmit it those generic letters are boring and annoying. After ten years with a company, wouldnt they write a better letter? Employers want to read specifics about your work, not some form letter prepopulated with fluff. When asking your former employer to write a recommendation, mention some of your attributes and contributions. Ask them to include those in the letter. Should they send a generic letter, toss it, and say thanks.There is a time and a place for everythingAnd resumes are not the place for references. A resume is used to show your best attributes, key skills, training and education, experience and summary of your career. Do not list references at the bottom. Not only does this throw off the formatting, but references are used after the interview. Instead of including a list of references in your resume writing, type References available upon request at the end of the resume. This appears professional and doesnt assume anything.Be strategic, and dont overuse your sourcesChoosing references should be a careful process. Dont just list a group of people you think will speak positively on your behalf. Talk to those references. Ask them what they will say if contacted. Go over some of the information you think they will need to verify. Follow up with an emaille so you have a written confirmation. Select references who are legitimate. For example, dont ask the company secretary to attest to your computer proficiencies, unless you worked on a specific project.ConclusionOnce youve selected the references for your list, use a format similar to the resume. Select stationary and a header that not only i s professional but pleasant as well. Keep the list fresh, and check in with your references to refresh their memories and ensure they still want to be a reference. Some people decide later on not to recommend anyone for personal reasons. Most importantly, return the favor. Offer to recommend your references in the future. Take them out to lunch, and send thank you cards when they give you a positive recommendation. Remember, what goes around comes around.Let TopResume help you write your resume. Get started with a free resume review.Related Articles

Making Sure Your Resume is Up to the Task

Making Sure Your Resume is Up to the Task Making Sure Your Resume is Up to the Task Job seekers beware your resume can be your own worst enemy. Today, hiring managers literally must sift through resumes from hundreds of applicants who are applying for a single job. Its a tedious process for the manager, but an important one.Smart managers understand how important it is to hire the right person for the job, particularly in such a competitive job market. From that large pile of resumes, the hiring manager will select only a handful to call in for an interview. The job of your resume and titel letter is to make sure you are one of the chosen few.So how can you create a resume that will stand out and allow you to secure the interview? There are many resources available to guide you through the creation of a winning resume and you can easily find examples on the Web. But regardless of the final format, there are a few guiding principles that apply to any cover letter and resume.Customize Your Cover LetterIn many cases, you will be asked to submit a resume via postal mail or e-mail. In either case, your resume should be accompanied by a well-written cover letter. The cover letter itself can help you get to the next step. Dont submit a generic cover letter. While it should be short and concise, make sure it is obvious that you have researched the company and their products and services and that you have highlighted the skills that they are looking for.Tailor Your Resume for the JobDont submit a generic resume. Like the cover letter, always tweak and adjust your resume so that it clearly presents your skills and accomplishments most closely associated with the job skills that are required for the standort you are applying for. You should customize your resume for every job you apply for.Be Specific with Your Career ObjectiveWhen you state your career objective at the top of your resume, be sure to tailor it for the position. A career objective such as Engineering manag er for a successful company is too general. Be more specific, for example, Key contributor to engineering management team for a medical device manufacturer.Quantitate Your Accomplishments Whenever PossibleThis section of your resume is key to securing the interview. Dont be shy about stating your recent accomplishments, and be sure to put those that are most relevant to the position at the top of the list. Try to quantitate your accomplishments wherever possible. For example, you may have enhanced a product design that lengthened the product lifecycle by 2 years or redesigned a component that reduced manufacturing costs by 20%. The numbers make the accomplishment tangible and stand out.ProofreadWhile you spend so much time creating the content of your resume, a simple misspelling can land your resume in the wastebasket. Typos suggest that you are sloppy and careless. Proofread your resume carefully and have someone else read it and proofread it as well. Sometimes the simplest mistak e can be your undoing.Seek AssistanceIf you are not comfortable with your resume, seek professional assistance. There are hundreds of educational resources available on the internet as well as professionals who will help you develop a winning resume. The document is too important not to put your best foot forward.Your resume provides a brief snapshot of yourself. Be sure it accurately conveys your career, your accomplishments, and your goals. And good luck with the interview.Tom Ricci is the owner of Ricci Communications.Your resume provides a brief snapshot of yourself. Be sure it accurately conveys your career, your accomplishments, and your goals.

How to Book a Venue for a Music Gig

How to Book a Venue for a Music GigHow to Book a Venue for a Music GigWhether youre a musician booking your own shows or a budding music promoter booking their first gig, the first step in the process is securing a site. When youre farther along, you might hook up with a club that actively goes after and hires talent. But if youre promoting your own show, here are some tips on how to book a venue. The right locale is crucial for making the night a success. Choose the Right Site Its easy to get caught up in the idea of playing your favorite club or venue, where all of your favorite musicians have played. But in reality, you should look for a venue that you can fill. Think of it this way Whats going to feel better on the night of the show, having the show sell out or playing to a huge, mostly empty room? Playing the small clubs are how you earn your stripes to play at the bigger places, so make finding a venue that fits in with both your likely draw and your budget the priority. Choose Desirable Dates Unless youre booking a gig way in advance, you have to be pretty lucky to stroll into a club and get a gig on your dream date. Before you book the show, come up with a window of a few different dates youd be happy with for the event. Oh, and you need to make koranvers all of the musicians are happy with all of the possible dates. Finding out that the drummer and the guitarist cant make the gig after youve booked the venue, is not ideal. Contact the Venue Depending on the size of the club, there will either be someone who handles all of the bookings or whoever answers the phone will pull out a calendar and write your name on it (while sounding incredibly bored and leaving you wondering if youve really booked the place). Either way, once you agree on a date, there are a few questions you need to ask How much is the hire fee/rental fee? (See more below about negotiating)When can you load-in and soundcheck?At what time do the doors open?By what time does the show need to end?What technical resources does the venue provide?Are there any special rules? Sign a Contract Many times, very small venues will not demand that you sign a contract, but you should definitely ask about any sort of written agreement anyway. As you move to larger venues, contracts become more common. Youll often be asked to sign a paper confirming the date for the show, the price youll pay to lease the space, and any special arrangements you have made. Be careful when youre signing one of these contracts because if the show falls through, youll be liable for paying them the fee anyway after your name is on the dotted line. Negotiate a Price In club bookings, sometimes theres not much flexibility in the rental fee. Note that this rental fee is usually a minimum amount of money that has to be made on the door, not necessarily a check you have to write up front as if you were renting a wedding hall. Hopefully, the door money and bar money will cover this guarante e you make to the venue. Still, youre on the hook for the sum, so it never hurts to try and negotiate the numbers. There are two things that can help you get a better deal Proving that youll bring in a big crowdProving that youll a lot of press before and after the show When you bring people into the venue and attract media attention, you help them do what they need to do to make money- namely, pack the place with patrons willing to buy drinks. Give them some evidence that the night will be a success on that score and you may be able to get a better price. Obviously, a demonstrated ability to may be tough to prove if youre still a young group. If there are no professional write-ups, even social media mentions, Facebook pages, videos, even Twitter chatter or Instagram images might help impress management.

The Volunteer Experience on Resume Diaries

The Volunteer Experience on Resume Diaries To find out more on what it requires to be a Volunteer, take a look at our complete Volunteer Job Description. Project coordinators undertaking the Gap Year Programs help volunteers choose the most suitable sort of program-one thats best suited for their abilities and interests. Volunteer experience is a significant means to demonstrate skills that may not appear in your paid positions. It can be a very valuable asset to have, as it benefits you in many areas of life. Volunteer work may have a larger impact for you than a seasoned candidate, which means you need to draw the reader in from the beginning. As a result, if youd like to turn into a volunteer, you will see volunteer resume templates very valuable. Volunteers perform plenty of distinct activities, based on the sort of organization for which theyre volunteering. Becoming a volunteer isnt always as simple as it seems. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Volunteer Experien ce on Resume Perhaps you are reentering the workforce after a career break, or perhaps you are trying to change careers. When youre invited to interview for work, youll have the opportunity to display your confidence and share your skills along with the interviewer. If you presently have work experience, you must write down the companies youve been affiliated with. Do not list the skills if you dont have them. The chance of obtaining a job for a volunteer is often significant. The resume building guide is going to share with you that the very best approach to include volunteer work is to list it below your work experience. Volunteer work covers a vast range of activities and can vastly enhance your odds of receiving an interview for your perfect job if you learn how to put volunteer work on your resume in a means that shows your strengths, dedication and enthusiasm. Relevant volunteer work might be only the thing to capture that employers interest. The 30-Second Trick for Vo lunteer Experience on Resume Apart from that, it also needs to explain the capacity of the applicant in numerous fields presenting her or him to be the very best available job candidate. Recent graduates might seek out unpaid internships to acquire a leg up, but skilled professionals largely anticipated to burnish their resumes at work. If done right, acquiring a volunteer resume section might help you stick out in a crowded area of job applicants. If youre still a student, youre likely to be asked of your academic transcripts. A Startling Fact about Volunteer Experience on Resume Uncovered The resume maker needs to have the ability to supply a number of samples. Resume making is most likely one of the most overlooked parts of a work hunting strategy. New Questions About Volunteer Experience on Resume A volunteer is a person who has made a decision they will get the job done for a business or an organization without expecting a payment. For instance, if in your business res earch you see that the employer values hiring and supporting employees with a rich life beyond work, it may be beneficial for them to learn about your contributions to a certain non-profit organization which you are passionate about. Based on the next employers requirement, you can center on job skills which you are supposed to utilize in your next job. The Benefits of Volunteer Experience on Resume Volunteer tourists were also engaged to help the reason for the environment theyre exploring. Irrespective of what exactly constitutes our personal volunteer work, it adds an excellent value in a lot of ways. Before you only begin listing every bit of volunteer experience youve got, take a small time to look into the organization. Volunteering, particularly for a very long length of time, will help to display your character in an extremely positive light. Your profile summary needs to be simple to read. Contact Information be koranvers your contact information is current and cor rect. Resumes presenting a couple of lines of per position are not any likely to communicate enough key info.

The Evolution of Recruiting for Cultural Fit - Spark Hire

The Evolution of Recruiting for Cultural Fit - Spark HireAs a recruiter, recruiting for cultural fit is of key importance to many of yur clients. If you recruit a candidate who is hired and does not fit in well with the companys culture, you could face a loss of fee or create double work (unpaid) to find a replacement. Taking a look at how cultural hiring has evolved over the years, its important that you take the time to reflect on your process for cultural hiring and make sure that you are using the most current and efficient methods. From Past to PresentThe actual phrase, cultural fit is fairly fresh to many companies. In the past, the main focus was on skill. Most of our interviewing questions and techniques were geared more towards a candidates experience. Did they have the skills necessary to do the job?However, over the years, recruiters have really begun to hear the buzz words, cultural hiring more often. Due to this increasing trend, we have modified our interviewing process es and techniques in buchung to better screen and identify candidates that will fit in with our clients cultures.Presently, most cultural hiring is conducted by asking specific questions of candidates.What type of environments have you worked in in the past?What type of management style do you prefer?How would you describe your work style?Why are you interested in this job/company?Depending on the candidates responses, we make our decision as to whether the candidate is a cultural fit or not for our client. This judgement is typically made over the phone based on a candidates response to our questions, unless you are one of the fortunate recruiters who is able to meet locally with all of your candidates for an in-person interview.Looking ForwardToday, we are starting to see a new trend when it comes to interviewing for cultural fit. Video interviews are making a mark in the recruiting industry by not only saving time, but by also allowing many recruiters to understand things that ar e easily missed over the phone.Video interviews are allowing us to visually see a candidates personality and facial expressions when discussing a job opportunity. On the phone, candidates can tell you what they think you may want to hearin order to get the opportunity, but over video you will notice any cringes or changes in attitude when it comes to certain questions or hot spots during the interview.Whether conducting a one-way video interview or a live video interview, you will be able to see the candidates excitement when it comes to a specific job opportunity. You will be able to see what gets that candidate excited about the job and better understand the candidates personality.When looking at the future of cultural hiring, it is important for us recruiters to begin implementing video interviewing into our consideration process. With the increasing importance of cultural hiring and the added benefits of video interviewing, we will have the ability to be more successful at provi ding our clients the type of talent they are looking for.Have you tried implementing video interviews into your recruiting process yet? Please share your experience and feedback below. Image Santiago Cornejo/BigStock.com