Gain a complete understanding of the principles of quality improvement and their application to present and future pharmacy practice

Quality and Safety in Pharmacy Practice details the principles, approaches, strategies, and actions necessary to improve overall safety and effectiveness of pharmacy services. Although one of the book’s primary goals is to enhance the quality of future health care, you will find guidelines that can be implemented immediately to improve today’s pharmacy practice. This comprehensive text offers a complete overview of quality in general, the reasons for improving practice, and actual day-to-day changes and approaches that will positively impact the patient.

Quality and Safety in Pharmacy Practice is divided into five parts, covering:

• The current and future landscape of health care quality and the business case for quality improvement and value-driven health care
• Quality improvement concepts and tools, including statistical process control
• Quality and safety measurement, including mechanisms for gathering consumer feedback
• Application of the principles of quality improvement to pharmacy practice -- complete with case examples

Contributors
Foreword by J. Lyle Bootman
Preface


Part I. Status of Quality Improvement and Reporting in the U.S. Health Care System

1 Quality and the Future of Health Care
David P. Nau

2 Understanding Problems in the Use of Medications
David P. Nau and Duane M. Kirking

3 The Business Case for Pharmacy Quality
David A. Holdford

4 An Overview of Health Care Organizations Involved in Quality Improvement
Donna West-Strum


Part II. Quality Improvement Concepts

5 Health Care Quality Improvement
Terri L. Warholak and Ginger G. Scott

6 Recognizing and Defining Quality Problems
David A. Holdford

7 Identifying Causes of Quality Problems
Terri L. Warholak and Ana Hincapie

8 Statistical Process Control
Leticia R. Moczygemba and David A. Holdford


Part III. Quality Measurement

9 Measuring Medication Safety and Quality
Susan J. Skledar and Robert J. Weber

10 Consumer Assessment of Pharmacy Quality
Susan J. Blalock and San Keller

11 Risk Management
Kenneth Baker


Part IV. Quality-based Interventions and Incentives

12 Implementing Change to Enhance Quality
Ana C. Quiñones-Boex and Thomas J. Reutzel

13 Using Technology in the Quality Improvement Process
Elizabeth A. Flynn

14 Reporting on Health Care Quality
Terri Moore and David P. Nau

15 Aligning Financial Incentives for Quality
David P. Nau


Part V. Application of Quality Improvement to the Pharmacy Practice Setting

16 Responding to an Outside Assessment of Pharmacy Quality
Julie Kuhle and Lynne Schifreen

17 Implementing Your Own Pharmacy Quality Improvement Program
Terri L. Warholak and Mi Chi Song

Index

Biographical note

About the Authors
Terri L. Warholak, PhD, RPh, is Assistant Professor in Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

David P. Nau, PhD, RPh, is Senior Director, Research & Performance Measurement, Pharmacy Quality Alliance, Inc. Fairfax Station, Virginia