Society Encourages Revisions to NQF Medication-Related Safe Practices
10/29/2008
ASHP urged the National Quality Forum (NQF) to strengthen language in its safe healthcare practices to emphasize the pharmacist’s leadership role in a successful medication safety program and the need for increased collaboration between pharmacists, the healthcare team and senior administration.
The Society submitted comments on the Safe Practices for Better Healthcare at the request of NQF, which is seeking member feedback for updates and revisions for 2009. The practices are used in clinical care settings to reduce errors and improve patient care.
An inaugural NQF member, ASHP focused its comments on medication safety issues such as medication reconciliation. But the Society also made recommendations on practices dealing with anticoagulation therapy and prevention of venous thromboembolism and contrast-media induced renal failure.
The Society suggested the entire healthcare team help ensure accurate patient medication lists before, during, and after episodes of care. ASHP advised the organization to include in its practices a link to My Medicine List, developed by ASHP and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation. Medication safety strategies also should include technologies such as bar-code enabled medication administration for compounding, stocking and dispensing to improve patient safety, ASHP told NQF.
NQF will compile member revisions of the practices and present a final version to them for approval.
Read ASHP’s comment to NQF here.
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