BETHESDA, Md. (September 6, 2007) - The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Research and Education Foundation is pleased to announce the 2007 recipients of the Medication Safety Team Grant: Optimizing Bedside Technology Solutions.
This research grant program, which is sponsored by a grant from Omnicell, Inc., supports research related to the use of barcode scanning technology at the point of medication administration to enhance the safe use of medications. This grant program was available to research teams composed of a combination of pharmacists, physicians, nurses and informatics experts.
"It is clear from the quality of studies we reviewed that this grant announcement stimulated critical thinking about current issues in medication safety and resulted in commitments at these institutions to carefully study these issues," states William E. Fassett, Ph.D., R.Ph., a professor and vice chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapy at Washington State University in Spokane. Fassett also served as a research grant selection panel member. "There is too little in the way of funding for this kind of research, and I'm particularly impressed by the interdisciplinary collaboration that is involved in these projects. Each of these research efforts will result in important information on how to improve policy and practice in medication safety. The ASHP Foundation is to be congratulated for funding this program."
The 2007 recipient teams, which each received a $40,000 grant, are:
"Critical Differences in Critical Care"
Pharmacist Investigator: Philip C. Williams, B.S., Pharm.D., M.B.A.
Co-Principal Investigator: Lynn Wagner, B.S., M.S.
Edward Hospital
Naperville, IN
Study objectives: To describe the process of bedside medication verification (BMV) implementation from a pharmacy, nursing and information systems perspective; compare and contrast the ease of use and staff satisfaction with two different BMV methodologies (bedside vs. portable computers); analyze the safety aspects of BMV technology, including near-misses, errors and errors causing injury; and conduct and compare time studies for medication administration, including non-BMV, BMV using portable computer and BMV using bedside computer.
"Impact of the FDA Barcode Ruling on BCMA at a Large Academic Medical Center"
Pharmacist Investigator: Ashley J. Dalton, Pharm.D.
Co-Principal Investigator: Gordon S. McGuire, B.S., Pharm.D.
University of California San Diego Medical Center
San Diego, CA
Study objectives: To describe the impact of the FDA ruling requiring certain human drug and biological drug product labels to have barcodes at a large academic medical center implementing barcode medication administration (BCMA) and the feasibility of maximizing use of manufacturer unit-dose barcode products for BCMA.
For more information about this research grant program, visit http://www.ashpfoundation.org/research.
The ASHP Research and Education Foundation was established in 1968 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. The mission of the Foundation is to improve the health and well-being of patients in hospitals and health systems through appropriate, safe and effective medication use. The Foundation provides leadership and conducts education and research activities that foster the coordination of interdisciplinary medication management leading to optimal patient outcomes. Emphasis is given to programs that will have a major impact on advancing pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems, thereby improving public health.