Activities of Memphis-area hospitals to meet National Patient Safety Goals for warfarin therapy

Abstract

The activities of Memphis hospitals to meet National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) for warfarin therapy are described. In March 2008, leadership from the Mid-South College of Clinical Pharmacy (MSCCP), a local chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, commissioned a task force on anticoagulation, comprising pharmacy administrators, clinical pharmacy practitioners, and pharmacy faculty from local hospitals within the greater Memphis area. The charge of the task force was to (1) identify practice variations in regard to NPSG.03.05.01, (2) develop professional collaboration among both academic and nonacademic institutions to share policy and protocol development, and (3) facilitate all institutions in meeting the deadlines set forth by the Joint Commission. The MSCCP Task Force on Anticoagulation project was successful in promoting collaboration among multiple institutions and clinical practitioners in the Memphis area. There was no one-size-fits-all approach; however, meetings and discussions were beneficial and led to idea generation. Having input from multiple institutions in different clinical settings with varying levels of experience created a rich environment from which all institutions benefited. For example, smaller institutions felt that they drew support for physician acceptance with protocol approval based on the knowledge of the policies approved or lessons learned at larger institutions. In addition, the larger institutions felt that the working group was helpful in validating their interpretation of the NPSG elements. The MSCCP Task Force on Anticoagulation project was successful in promoting collaboration among multiple institutions and clinical practitioners to offer solutions to meet NPSG.03.05.01 as it related to the needs of each institution.