Revised December 20, 2005

Objective 4.1

90% of health systems will have an organizational program, with appropriate pharmacy involvement, to achieve significant annual, documented improvement in the safety of all steps in medication use.

Baseline: 60.5% (95% CI, 55.4–65.3%)

Objective 4.2

80% of pharmacies in health systems will conduct an annual assessment of the processes used throughout the health system for compounding sterile medications, consistent with established standards and best practices.

Baseline: 35.7% (95% CI, 31.1–40.6%)

Objective 4.3

80% of hospitals have at least 95% of routine medication orders* reviewed for appropriateness by a pharmacist before administration of the first dose.

Baseline: 45.7% (95%CI, 41.3-49.9%)

(*Not including doses required in the context of emergencies or immediate procedures such as surgeries, labor and delivery, cardiac catheterization, etc.)

Objective 4.4

90% of hospital pharmacies will participate in ensuring that patients receiving antibiotics as prophylaxis for surgical infections will have their prophylactic antibiotic therapy discontinued within 24 hours after the surgery end time.

Baseline: 31.0% (95% CI, 26.6–35.8%)

Objective 4.5

85% of pharmacy technicians in health systems will be certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.

Baseline: 2004: 60.5% (95% CI, 56.1–64.9%)     2005: 53.9% (95% CI, 49.8-58.0%)