Progress Made On 2015 Initiative - American Society Of Health-System Pharmacists

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 04 Jun 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Significant progress has been made toward achieving the medication-safety and medication-use technology goals of the ASHP Health-System Pharmacy 2015 Initiative.

Specifically, major progress was made on objectives 4.1 through 4.4, which concern medication safety, and objectives 5.1 through 5.4, which deal with the adoption of medication-use technology.

Slight or relatively no progress was made on other objectives.

ASHP developed the Health-System Pharmacy 2015 Initiative as a means of advancing the practice of pharmacy in hospitals and health systems.

The Initiative is based on a member-developed vision statement (ASHP Vision for Pharmacy Practice) that conceptualizes how pharmacy practice in hospitals and other components of health systems should look in the future.

Officially launched in September 2003, the Initiative has six broad goals and 31 objectives, each designed to be measurable so that progress can be tracked.

Progress toward specific goals and objectives is measured through the annual ASHP national survey. ASHP made significant improvements to the Initiative.

First, member feedback was sought on the original goals and objectives, to determine if they were still the best measures of reaching the ASHP Vision for Pharmacy Practice. With that feedback, ASHP deleted five objectives, added five objectives, modified five others, and created a glossary of terms. The modifications primarily enhanced those objectives;' clarity and specificity, without substantively altering the original intent.

Other tools related to the Initiative, such as the self-assessment tool and the 2015 crosswalk, have also been updated and placed on the ASHP Web site dedicated to the Initiative.

Many groups have adopted the Initiative as a means of advancing practice.

Many state affiliates, for example, have surveyed their members to assess practice in state. Based on the results, they have developed educational programming and other information designed to assist their members.

Other groups, such as the University HealthSystem Consortium, have surveyed their members on Initiative objectives and focused on communicating those "2015 Best Practices" uncovered through the survey.

To acknowledge these efforts, ASHP has launched the "2015 Campaign," with the goal of recognizing organizations (state affiliates, hospitals, student societies, and others) that have embraced the Initiative. More information on the campaign and a list of organizations already recognized as "2015 Champions" can be found on the ASHP Web site.

Visit the ASHP 2015 Initiative Web site at http://www.ashp.org/2015 for more information.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists