Drug Topics - November 19, 2007 - (Page H23)

www.drugtopics.com NOVEMBER 19, 2007 DRUG TOPICS HSE 23 Professional Practice > > > How R.Ph.s helped three hospitals win quality and safety awards Martin Sipkoff S trong collaboration between pharmacists and physicians set the stage for the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) to win a prestigious safety and quality award, according to its chief of staff. “I must say that our head of pharmacy and his staff have been integral in developing the processes that led to this,” said Darrell A. Campbell, Jr., M.D. “We have been way ahead of the curve on the issue of medical and pharmacy integration. I am very proud of that.” Campbell was one of several recent recipients of the 2007 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award given by The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum (NQF). Others included Eric J. Thomas, M.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) at Houston, for research into the root causes of medical and medication errors; and the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, a three-hospital system outside Chicago, for development and deployment of the first universal admission surveillance program for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). accepting workload responsibility—and responsibility for patient safety—that “makes their integration with the medical staff so effective,” Campbell said. “There is systemwide recognition of their commitment to developing carefully designed [drug] entry protocols. Trust in their professionalism translated into a higher degree of trust in the CPOE [computerized physician order entry] system.” Teamwork Like Campbell, UTHSC’s Thomas stressed the importance of teamwork in reducing adverse events related to medical and medication errors. “When joint teams of nurses and pharmacists, led by physicians, address cause, the result is comprehensive.” He pointed to errors that occur because of look-alike, sound-alike (LASA) drugs. “It is impossible to effectively develop the communication Darrell Campbell necessary to reduce LASA events within a rigid hi- of UMHS credits erarchy,” said Thomas. “A team approach, integra- his pharmacists tion of R.Ph.s into the creation of techniques, and with helping him win effective implementing a frontline strategy with blame-free patient safety error reporting are indispensable.” award. Evanston’s universal MRSA admission surveillance program resulted in a 62% reduction of MRSA and avoidance of more than 50 episodes of MRSA infection, said Peterson, the system’s epidemiologist and director of clinical microbiology and infectious disease research. All inpatients are swabbed for MRSA infection upon admission, and if infection is found, they are isolated, he said. According to NQF officials, this approach “has the potential to have a positive impact on the nationally increasing mortality rates and rising costs associated with MRSA infections.” The effectiveness of the screenings relies on a comprehensive approach. “We developed a method of notifying staff through electronic medical records whether a swab was taken and its results,” Peterson said. “Our pharmacist department is notified of positive results, and they have developed an effective decolonization treatment approach. Screening, isolation as necessary, and treatment are a team effort.” “More and more hospitals see the necessity of pharmacists’ participation in integrated patient safety efforts,” Thomas pointed out. “Effective analysis and programs aren’t possible without them.” THE AUTHOR Pharmacist involvement Campbell, Thomas, and Evanston’s Lance Peterson, M.D., all spoke of the importance of their respective pharmacy departments in the enhancement of patient safety. “Root cause analysis is obviously the most effective way of using experience to reduce errors,” said Thomas. “That’s impossible without pharmacists.” Campbell’s award was in the individual achievement category, given in part for establishing hospitalwide rapid response teams and regular patient safety rounds, both of which, he said, heavily involve his pharmacy department. The award was also in recognition of his role in the expansion of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) from Veterans Affairs to the private sector. “I found early recognition from the administration, and then the medical staff, that we have indispensable knowledge on drugs and drug interactions,” said James Stevenson, Pharm.D., R.Ph., director of pharmacy services at UMHS and associate dean of the university’s school of pharmacy. “From the beginning of my tenure here eight years ago, this administration has been willing to provide the financial resources necessary to involve clinical pharmacists in all areas of care. The result today is a team examination of whether systems we have are effective.” It is the steadfastness of Stevenson’s 100 pharmacists in is a writer based in Gettysburg, Pa. http://www.drugtopics.com

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Drug Topics - November 19, 2007 Contents Latebreakers Letters Leukemia Patients Now Have More Options First-in-Class HIV Drug Boon to Patients at End of Tether 150 Years of American Pharmacy Pharmacy Schools Confront New Pressures From Pariah to Patient ACCP Releases Position Paper on Ethical Interactions New Injectable Antibiotic Welcomed with Open Arms NCCN Updates Head and Neck Cancer Guide Improved Phosphate Binder Approved for Dialysis Patients Considering Combination Concern Ensuring Seamless Care Bill Would Create Center for Comparative Effectiveness Hospital Improves Patient Safety with Automatic Drug Distribution System Infection Rates, Patient Stays Drop with New Drug Device How R.Ph.s Helped Three Hospitals Win Quality and Safety Awards A Pharmacist and Dog in Tow are Alzheimer’s Patients’ Best Friends More PBMs Agreeing to Pricing Transparency New Insulins in the Management of Diabetes New Products Advertisers Index Classified VIEWPOINT: Reflections on Pharmacy School After 30 Years

Drug Topics - November 19, 2007

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