New AHRQ Tools Help Assess and Improve Medication Safety in Community Pharmacies and Outpatient Settings

Three new online resources funded by AHRQ and developed by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices can help community pharmacies and outpatient settings improve medication safety and protect patients from the adverse effects of medication errors:

High-Alert Medications Consumer Leaflets – Patient education checklists developed during a study of the impact of community pharmacies that counseled consumers who picked up prescriptions for certain high-alert medications including warfarin, fentanyl patches, and more.
Assessing Barcode Verification System Readiness in Community Pharmacies – A free tool that helps community pharmacies assess their readiness and prepare for future implementation of a barcode product verification system.
High-Alert Medication Modeling and Error-Reduction Scorecards (HAMMERS™) – A free tool designed to help community pharmacies identify their unique set of system and behavioral risks associated with dispensing certain high-alert medications and use a series of scorecards to estimate how often prescribing and dispensing errors reach patients and how the frequency will change if certain interventions are implemented.

Select to access the tools.

Access the Free Research-Based Medication Safety Tools from ISMP

High-Alert Medications Consumer Leaflets Between 2008 and 2012, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) was awarded a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to conduct a study in community pharmacies regarding the impact of counseling consumers who pick up prescriptions for certain high-alert medications. The medications involved in this study include: Warfarin Enoxaparin Fentanyl patches Methotrexate (oral) Hydrocodone with acetaminophen Oxycodone with acetaminophen Insulin analogs (lispro, aspart, glargine, glulisine, detemir) You can access one of the resources created during this study: consumer leaflets that offer important safety tips for taking each medication safely. The leaflets are FREELY available for download and can be reproduced for free distribution to consumers.

High-Alert Medication Modeling and Error-Reduction Scorecards (HAMMERS) HAMMERS™ is a free tool designed to help community pharmacies: Identify their unique set of system and behavioral risks associated with dispensing certain high-alert medications Estimate how often an error or adverse drug event reaches a patient The tool provides five Scorecards, each to assess a different type of prescribing or pharmacy error. The Scorecards identify risk factors within the dispensing process and provide estimates of the impact of each risk factor on the overall likelihood that an error will reach the patient. By using the tool, pharmacists can estimate how often prescribing and dispensing errors reach patients and how the frequency will change if certain interventions are implemented.

Assessing Barcode Verification System Readiness in Community Pharmacies Assessing Barcode Verification System Readiness in Community Pharmacies is a free tool to help community pharmacies prepare for future implementation of a barcode product verification system. The tool helps pharmacy leaders and staff evaluate their current workflow, standard operating procedures, and technology to identify what needs to be accomplished before implementing a barcode product verification system. The assessment process makes the adoption of this technology less stressful and more efficient because pharmacy staff are better prepared to adapt to any necessary changes that have been foreseen by using the tool. The actual assessment items are divided into two parts—one group of assessment items for pharmacy leaders/owners, and another group of assessment items for pharmacy staff. Background information on barcode technology and Appendices on Elements to Consider During Vendor Selection and Direct Costs Associated with Barcode Verification Systems are also provided. This assessment tool was developed by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality