A new Web resource from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) sheds light on the critical role that pharmacists are playing in efforts to transform the health care system and improve the quality of care for patients in hospitals and health systems.

ASHP's Web resource, www.ashp.org/qii/npp, is one of the outcomes of the Society's involvement in the National Priorities Partnership (NPP), an initiative convened by the National Quality Forum. The NPP has identified six national priorities aimed at eliminating waste, harm, and disparities in the health care system. The six national priorities are overuse, safety, care coordination, patient and family engagement, end-of-life care, and population health.

The ASHP site makes the case for the critical role of pharmacists in each of the six priorities and points to innovative examples of pharmacists' efforts to achieve improved outcomes for patients that result in reduced costs. The site also provides hospital and health-system pharmacy departments with resources to help implement ASHP best practices by offering links to relevant evidence in the scientific literature as well as related ASHP policies and resources.

"Hospital and health-system pharmacists are uniquely suited to lead many of the medication-related improvement efforts articulated by the NPP's priorities," said ASHP President Lynnae M. Mahaney, M.B.A., FASHP. "ASHP is pleased to take an active role in this initiative by providing expertise and advice on evidence-based approaches to improving the safety and quality of medication use."
v An active contributor to the NPP, ASHP regularly provides case studies demonstrating pharmacists' impact on patient care. NPP-related topics will be among the issues considered in September during the deliberations of ASHP member groups that make recommendations on the Society's professional policies. ASHP will also offer continuing education programming during its upcoming 2009 Midyear Clinical Meeting that focuses on NPP priorities and opportunities for pharmacists to influence the quality improvement activities at their institutions.

Source
ASHP