After spending over 30 years doing hands-on work in hospital pharmacy practice, JCR's Medication Safety Practice Leader Jeannell Mansur, R.Ph., Pharm.D., FASHP appreciates the challenges faced by pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who interface with the hospital's medication system. "The medication system is one of the organization's most complex systems. There are operational, clinical, regulatory and financial challenges that must be managed," says Dr. Mansur.
"It's very fulfilling for me to use my expertise to help other hospitals," she says. "I find that the many years I've spent building and improving medication systems are of great value as I help clients." Dr. Mansur and 3 other pharmacists who comprise JCR's medication management expert team bring operations, clinical, Joint Commission surveyor and medication safety expertise to the table. While the Joint Commission standards provide a framework for the medication management and safety consulting, an understanding of process improvement, system design and performance measurement help clients to achieve the improvements they seek.
"Often we are called in when a sentinel event occurs," she relates. "It's an opportunity review the entire medication system, not just the pharmacy process." At other times, there may be a specific area of concern, such as pediatric or chemotherapy medication systems. The initial assessment typically takes three days, during which time the team assesses all medication processes, from the time the medication is selected for inclusion on the formulary through its administration. Recommendations are made and a plan of action is developed with the client. "We are different because we manage the change with the client- we don't leave them after our recommendations have been given. We work together with them to ensure that progress is made and objectives are met"
What factors will be important in the future for medication safety? Jeannell Mansur believes that the use of technology, already an important tool for most hospitals, will expand to provide greater opportunities for improving the care of patients and the safety of the medication system. "The challenge is to use technology wisely. There is so much investment in technology in healthcare today, but the challenge is in doing it well and in a way that improves the efficiency and safety of patient care," she predicts.
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