March 2004
US Pharmacopeia
USP to release first-ever case study book to advance medication error prevention in US hospitalsKey findings, 10 recommendations to improve patient safety to be announced to media via teleconference on Wednesday, March 10, 1:30 p.m. EST To: Hospital, health care and pharmaceutical trade media, and health and medical reporters/producers
Subject: Teleconference-The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) will release Advancing Patient Safety in U.S. Hospitals: Basic Strategies for Success, a first-ever case study book featuring actual hospital medication errors and steps taken to prevent similar mistakes in the future. More than two dozen health care administrators and practitioners were interviewed for this book. These first-person accounts led to 10 key recommendations for improving medication safety in U.S. health facilities, which will be discussed on this teleconference.
All those interviewed for this book participate in USP's MEDMARX, the national, Internet-accessible anonymous error reporting program and quality improvement tool used to track and trend medication errors. In November 2003, USP released its fourth annual medication errors data report: Summary of Information Submitted to MEDMARX in the Year 2002: The Quest for Quality, which analyzed more than 192,000 medication errors that were voluntarily reported by 482 hospitals and health systems nationwide. MEDMARX is the nation's largest database of medication errors, containing more than 580,000 released records.
When: Wednesday, March 10, 2004, 1:30 p.m. EST (10:30 a.m. PST)
Who: The teleconference will be presented by:
* Diane D. Cousins, R.Ph., vice president of USP's Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety
* Jeffrey Silverstone, R.Ph., MEDMARX program director, USP
Where: To access the teleconference, dial 1-800-860-2442. Inform the operator that you are calling for the "U.S. Pharmacopeia" teleconference.
To Register: To participate in the teleconference, please RSVP to [email protected]. For further information or to obtain a copy of Advancing Patient Safety in U.S. Hospitals: Basic Strategies for Success or the 2002 MEDMARX data report, contact Sherrie Borden, USP's director of public relations, at [email protected].
USP--Advancing Public Health Since 1820
USP is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, standard-setting organization that advances public health by ensuring the quality and consistency of medicines, promoting the safe and proper use of medications, and verifying ingredients in dietary supplements. These standards, which are recognized worldwide, are developed by a unique process of public involvement through the contributions of volunteers representing pharmacy, medicine, and other health care professions, as well as science, academia, government, the pharmaceutical industry, and consumer organizations. For more information about USP and its four public health programs, visit www.usp.org/newscenter.
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