Compliance with federal regulations for pharmaceutical services in skilled nursing facilities

The extent of consultant pharmacist compliance with federal regulations for pharmaceutical services in skilled nursing facilities is reported. Twenty geriatric nursing facilities in Indiana were surveyed over a five-month period. The performance of consultant pharmacists was rated with regard to their facility and patient monitoring functions and their administrative (policy development) activities. Their facility monitoring functions and their patient monitoring functions consisted of both clinical and supervisory responsibilities. Performance was rated on a 4-point scale with a ranking of less than 75% considered unsatisfactory. Eighty percent of the pharmacists were performing their facility monitoring clinical activities at or above an 80% performance level. Ninety-five percent of the pharmacists were performing their facility monitoring supervisory functions at or above an 80% performance level. The supervisory components of patient monitoring were being performed at a mean level of 89%, in contrast to a level of 62% found for the clinical components of patient monitoring. The patient monitoring functions were being performed below the satisfactory level of 75% of the consultant pharmacists. The younger pharmacist (ages 25-28) were performing the patient monitoring clinical functions at a significantly higher level (p less than 0.01) that the pharmacists in the older age group. Seventy percent of the pharmacists were performing their administrative functions at a satisfactory level.