The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation is pleased to announce the Safety Recognition Award Winners for Best Practices for Safe Medication Administration during Anesthesia Care.
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation seeks to recognize organizations that have made significant advances in safe medication administration during anesthesia care. Best practices in any of the areas of safe medication administration covered by the STPC paradigm* – Standardization, Technology, Pharmacy, Culture – were considered for the award. Special consideration was given to practices with well described processes that complement patient care workflow and integrate documentation with the electronic health record (EHR). Evidence indicating improved medication safety was most desirable but it was recognized that qualitative evidence of process improvement (eg. surveys of user acceptance) may be the best available evidence. Actual implementation experience in patient care was also required rather than projects or ideas that had yet to be implemented.
FIRST PLACE
T. A. Bowdle, MD, PhD
University of Washington Medical Center Anesthesia Drug Safety Bundle, submitted by T.A. Bowdle MD, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmaceutics, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Washington.
The submission was notable for a comprehensive approach to improving medication safety dating back to 2002, which utilized repeated data collection to assess the impact on medication errors. As a result of this department’s efforts, the rate of self-reported errors was reduced from 0.63% to 0.23% over an approximate 12-year interval. Their experience teaches us about the benefits and challenges to implementing technology solutions, in particular the use of bar code scanning at the bedside.
SECOND PLACE
Deborah S. Wagner, PharmD, FASHP
Michigan Medicine Anesthesia Medication Safety Initiatives, submitted by Deborah S. Wagner PharmD, FASHP, Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology/Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan.
This submission also described a comprehensive program to reduce medication errors founded on a collaboration between the Departments of Pharmacy and Anesthesiology. In addition to focusing on bedside medication administration, their program seeks to monitor and detect drug diversion. The cultural commitment is most notable as evidenced by the formation of a multidisciplinary medication safety task force that meets biweekly to assess medication practices and reduce error. They also have developed dashboards to continuously assess current medication administration practices.
HONORABLE MENTION
James J. Thomas, MD
The Codonics Safe Label System®: utilizing technology to increase medication labeling compliance and charge capture while maintaining user acceptability in pediatric operating rooms submitted, by James J. Thomas, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado.
This submission was focused specifically on integrating a syringe label printer and bar coding with medication inventory and electronic medical record systems. The impact was an improvement in compliance as well as charge capture and provider acceptance.