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Posted on 01.02.01
Reducing Medication Errors: Role of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
By Sally Yasuda, MS, PharmD, BCPS
Medication errors are one of the leading causes of death in the United States. An essential part of developing a rational approach to therapeutics is identifying a way to avoid these errors.
Many cognitive factors can contribute to drug errors, including selecting the most appropriate drug for a given indication, considering interactions with other drugs that the patient may be taking, and accounting for factors specific to the patient (such as age and sex) that could influence the drug's effects.
Many pressures exerted on the prescribing physician also can influence drug selection. This includes institutional policies and formularies (lists of "acceptable" drugs), which can apply in private practices (through medication plans), community and academic medical centers, and large healthcare organizations.
Creating a team of people to act as a Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee is one approach often chosen to influence and monitor therapies. Until recently, however, the difficult and challenging work of the P&T Committee and functions of the members had to be learned by trial and error.
The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) offers a program that provides background and training in these skills: Core Expertise for P&T Committees: A Workshop. This innovative program, now in its second year, provides an opportunity for P&T committee members to gain experience with the wide variety of skills needed to make the best decisions about formularies. These skills include optimizing the safety and quality of care, devising effective processes for making formulary decisions, creating effective teams, and complying with regulatory guidelines.
This year's 1-day session will be held in Orlando on March 10, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the ASCPT. It will include educational presentations and small group sessions. Role-playing in a mock P&T committee meeting will provide hands-on experience with decision-making. Other small group discussions allow participants to address issues relevant to their own institutions. The skills learned in this Workshop enable P&T committee members to contribute to improving the process of rational prescribing and reducing drug errors.
For more information about the ASCPT Annual Meeting or the Workshop, visit the ASCPT Web site at http://www.ascpt.org/ or click here (http://www.ascpt.org/annual/ascptprogram.pdf).