View from the other side: an interview with a pharmacist-surveyor. Interview with Jean Farley, RPh.

Skilled nursing facilities are subject to an annual survey by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that the facility meets standards set in the State Operations Manual. While the survey team often includes nurses and social workers, some states also have pharmacists as surveyors. This unique practice setting, as explained by a pharmacist-surveyor in North Carolina, allows pharmacists to bring their clinical expertise to the regulatory arena to help nursing facilities provide the highest level of care to their elderly residents.