Despite USP <800> requiring the use of CSTDs during HD administration whenever possible, CSTD adoption rates for nursing continues to lag behind adoption rates in pharmacy. There is also a concerning drop in the number of facilities with a plan in place to implement these devices on the units. Given that the purchasing of CSTDs rarely happens without pharmacy’s input, it is up to pharmacy to take a leadership role in this endeavor and ensure CSTDs become as ubiquitous to the HD administration process as they are to the HD preparation process.
Over the past 4 years, the addition of CSTDs to HD administration workflows has remained flat. It is particularly concerning that plans to adopt CSTDs for HD administration are also on the decline.
Facilities of all sizes need to make a commitment to adding this important safety technology at the point of administration to avoid unnecessary HD exposures for nursing staff.
96% of all CSTD purchases for drug administration involve pharmacy, underscoring the need for pharmacy to lead the initiative to achieve a 100% implementation rate for the benefit of their nursing colleagues and to meet regulatory requirements.
Equashield, OnGuard, and PhaSeal are the leading devices for HD administration.
Given that pharmacy rates nursing’s satisfaction with CSTDs as quite strong, there should be no slowdown in purchasing CSTDs for nursing staff.
BD is the leading vendor for CSTDs used during administration, followed by Equashield, ICU Medical, B. Braun, and Corvida (which was recently purchased by Fresenius Kabi).