ASHP is urging The Joint Commission (TJC) to amend its proposed 2009 National Patient Safety Goals to include an emphasis on the central role pharmacists have in preventing healthcare-associated infections. The Society recently submitted comments on the medication-related patient safety goals, which focus on methods to reduce the risk of infections and strengthen medication reconciliation efforts in hospitals and critical access facilities.

Every year, ASHP provides beneficial feedback to TJC for its annual updates to the goals. ASHP's latest comments strongly encourage TJC to include pharmacists in the list of healthcare providers who should lead efforts to prevent infections, such as pneumonia and surgical site infections, because of pharmacists' expertise in appropriate antibiotic use.

The medication reconciliation goal calls for organizations to communicate a patient's original home medication list and the list recorded by health professionals during the hospital stay to the patient's next or primary care providers. ASHP warns that errors could result from providing two lists unless the differences between them are communicated clearly. ASHP recommends that TJC consider only requiring that institutions only share the list of medications prepared by the hospital staff.

ASHP Executive Vice President and CEO, Henri R. Manasse, Jr., Ph.D., Sc.D., represents the Society on TJC's Sentinel Event Advisory Group, which recommends revisions and additions to the goals to TJC Board of Commissioners.

Click here to read the comments ASHP submitted to TJC.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists