ASHP offers quality improvement strategies in new resource center

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) is providing quality improvement strategies for pharmacy practice settings across the continuum of care.

Its online Quality Improvement Resource Center has been updated to help pharmacist leaders and to encourage engagement in healthcare quality initiatives for improving patient outcomes and rewarding better performance, according to an ASHP statement.

“Close to 40 percent of clinical quality measures are related either directly or indirectly to medication use. Pharmacists have the background to assess the scientific reliability and applicability of these quality measures, and are well-suited for offering ideas on how a proposed measure would be implemented in real practice,” said Shekhar Mehta, PharmD, MS, ASHP’s director of clinical guidelines and quality improvement.

The new resource center also offers updates on clinical quality measures and reporting programs, including links to resources and organizations. In addition, pharmacists can access continuing educational activities, podcasts, webinars, and other media that supports quality improvement and medication safety. ASHP Pharmacy Accountability Measures Workgroup activities are available as well.

ASHP members are encouraged to sign up to be Quality Advocates, ensuring that pharmacists’ medication expertise is recognized and used to support the National Quality Strategy. For more information on becoming a Quality Advocate, click here.