QUALITY ASSURANCE TO QUALITY IMPROVEMENT - MEASURING AND MONITORING PHARMACEUTICAL CARE

UPI News Service; Somewhere, California; December 1, 1999-Community General Hospital announced today that it was closing one hospital wing (90 beds) because of an inability to provide pharmaceutical care. Both JCAHO and HCFA recently notified the hospital that its medication-use performance indicators have fallen below acceptable levels. The hospital spokesperson was reported as stating that, while the automated drug delivery system and technical support staff ensured adequate drug delivery, the hospital was unable to provide pharmaceutical care for all of its patients because of its inability to attract qualified pharmacists. Negotiations with JCAHO and HCFA to substitute physicians or nurse practitioners for pharmacists were rejected by both regulatory agencies and the local medical society because of the recently established links between pharmacy-provided pharmaceutical care and improved quality of care and better patient outcomes.