National Coordinating Council Medication Error Reporting Program Receives Pinnacle Award

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 28 Jun 2007 - 1:00 PDT


The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP), spearheaded by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), received the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation's Pinnacle Award for its commitment to improving medication safety.

Diane Cousins, R.Ph., secretary of NCC MERP and vice president of patient safety at USP, and Deborah Nadzam, PhD, FAAN Council Chair, accepted the award on behalf of NCC MERP during APhA's 10th Annual Awards Presentation and Dinner at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on June 12.

"Medication safety is an important public health issue," said Cousins. "NCC MERP is proud of its work to reduce medication errors and is extremely honored to receive this award."

NCC MERP is an independent body comprising 23 national organizations that works to maximize the safe use of medications and increase awareness of medication errors through open communication, increased reporting and promotion of medication error prevention strategies. Because of the diversity and impact of its member organizations, NCC MERP has played a substantial role in changing the national and international culture on how medication errors are perceived and on how systems-based solutions are necessary to address this problem.

The Pinnacle Awards were established in 1998 through a grant from Wyeth. Each year they recognize an individual, a group of individuals, and a health care organization for a scientific contribution and/or exemplary leadership in the improvement of health care quality through the medication use process and the delivery of appropriate pharmaceutical care.

The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (Council) was founded in 1995 to promote the reporting, understanding and prevention of medication errors. The Council comprises health-related organizations, societies and agencies, including medicine, pharmacy and nursing groups, consumer groups, standards-setting and federal regulatory bodies, and manufacturers. The Council's goals are to examine and evaluate the causes of medication errors; increase awareness of medication errors and methods of prevention throughout the health care system; recommend strategies relative to system modifications, practice standards and guidelines; stimulate development and use of medication error reporting and evaluation systems; and stimulate reporting to a national system for review, analysis and development of recommendations to reduce and prevent medication errors.

NCC MERP

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