HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Vermeulen, L. C. Articles by Zilz, D. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Vermeulen, L. C. Articles by Zilz, D. A.

LEE C. VERMEULEN, M.S., FCCP, is Director, Center for Drug Policy, and Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy; STEVE S. ROUGH, M.S., is Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy; and THOMAS S. THIELKE, M.S., Fashp, is Vice President, Professional and Support Services, and Clinical Professor, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin—Madison (UW—Madison). RITA R. SHANE, PHARM.D., FASHP, FCSHP, is Director, Pharmacy Services, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, and Assistant Dean, Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco. MARIANNE F. IVEY, PHARM.D., M.P.H., FASHP, is Corporate Director, Pharmacy Services, The Health Alliance, and Associate Professor, Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, Cincinnati, OH. BILLY W. WOODWARD is Consultant, Renaissance Pharmacy Services, LLC, Temple, TX, and Clinical Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin. PAUL G. PIERPAOLI, M.S., is an independent health care consultant, Hilton Head, SC; at the time the high-performance pharmacy framework was developed, he was Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Practice, McKesson Medication Management, Hilton Head. SYLVIA M. THOMLEY, PHARM.D., M.S., is Manager, Patient Care Services and Medication Safety, Department of Pharmacy, UWHC, and Clinical Instructor, UW—Madison. CHRISTOPHER A. BORR, B.S., is Executive Liaison, Health Systems Pharmacy Executive Alliance, and Senior Director of Marketing, McKesson Health Systems, San Francisco, CA. DAVID A. ZILZ, M.S., FASHP, is Consultant, Corporate Pharmacy Programs, Iola, WI, and Emeritus Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, UW—Madison.

Address correspondence to Mr. Vermeulen at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, M/C 9475, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792-1530 (lc.vermeulen{at}hosp.wisc.edu).

Purpose. A strategic approach to improving the medication-use process in health systems by using a framework for setting priorities on the basis of feasibility, the potential for financial return, and the effect on quality and safety is described. Summary. A panel consisting of leaders in health-system pharmacy identified seven dimensions of high-performance pharmacy (HPP) framework: medication preparation and delivery, patient care services, medication safety, medication-use policy, financial performance, human resources, and education. Performance elements, which are specific policies, procedures, activities, and practices that indicate high performance and result in a financial or clinical return on investment of resources, within each dimension were identified. References, practice standards, and policies related to each performance element were also identified. By consensus, the panel assigned qualitative metric scores for each of the 69 performance elements that represent the panel’s assessment of the resources necessary to achieve full implementation of the element and the potential financial and quality and safety returns if the element has not yet been implemented. It is noted that a pharmacy department’s actual outlay of resources and expected financial return will differ depending on the size of the health system, the size of pharmacy staff, and the extent of previous implementation efforts. The framework can also be used to rejustify existing services and programs and identify opportunities for improvement. Conclusion. The HPP framework characterizes pharmacy performance elements on the basis of feasibility, financial return, and effect on quality and safety. The framework provides pharmacists with a means to establish priorities in improving the medication-use system. Index terms: Administration; Careers; Decision making; Drug use; Economics; Methodology; Pharmaceutical services; Pharmacists, hospital; Pharmacy, institutional, hospital; Quality assurance; Standards