Observation

observation best practices ✅ quality checks include available patient observations while the inclusion of patient observation information is not required by the ncpdp script standard, the transmission of this information is supported through the observation segment of the standard include patient observation information with exact measure dates (e g , weight, height, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, etc ), in e prescription messages for all patients when available, especially the pediatric patient population or where weight based dosing is necessary reference for more information on patient height and weight, see ncpdp script implementation guide, v2023011 (may 2024 republication), sec 8 1 9 pages 226 227 examples treatment for otitis media in a four year old patient the prescriber wants to dose with amoxicillin 90 mg/kg/day divided into two doses for a duration of five days the pharmacist is expected to double check the appropriateness of the prescribed dose for the patient, calculated using the patient’s weight in this scenario, it is imperative that the e prescription includes the patient’s weight (e g , 15 kg) and the date the measurement was taken (e g , ccyy mm dd) the calculated dose would be 675 mg/dose clinical relevance/rationale the dosage of many drugs is calculated based on a patient’s weight or body surface area (bsa) this approach is especially used for pediatric and neonatal populations, as they require higher precision in dosing and tend to have greater fluctuations in weight furthermore, some medications can be contraindicated when a patient’s blood pressure is elevated or depressed, and pharmacists can use blood pressure information to assess for drug disease interactions and therapeutic outcomes this information is essential for pharmacists to provide clinical decision support and double checks to ensure that the patient receives the appropriate dose(s) of the prescribed medication(s) best practices for technology partners ensure the system is able to capture commonly documented clinical values, such as weight and height at minimum when receiving observation data, ensure the application can display this information in a meaningful manner best practices for prescribers ensure the most recent, up to date weight, height or blood pressure measurements are entered when creating e prescriptions along with the dates the measurements were taken