ISMP Survey on Impact of Economic Crisis on Medication Safety

We are interested in learning how today’s economy is affecting patient safety at your healthcare organization. Please take a few minutes to take our survey and submit your responses to ISMP by October 16, 2009.

Please give us your opinion regarding these questions using the following key: 1=No Bad Effect, 5=Large Bad Effect; DK=Don’t Know; NA=Not Applicable

1) Overall, to what degree in your organization has the following been negatively affected by the economy?

Patient safety		Comments:
Medication safety		Comments:

2) For the following general categories, to what degree in your organization has each been negatively affected by the economy?

Culture (e.g., tolerance of risk)		Comments:
Staffing (e.g., staff reductions, unfilled positions)		Comments:
Update of existing technology		Specify:
Implementation of new technology		Specify:
Other capital equipment expenditures		Specify:
Provision of services		Specify:
Physical environment additions/remodeling		Comments:
Leadership support for safety		Comments:
Patient volumes (inpatient)		Comments:
Patient volumes (outpatient)		Comments:
Staff education/certification		Comments:
Staff morale		Comments:
Staff willingness to report errors		Comments:

3) For the following categories associated with medication use, to what degree in your organization has each been negatively affected by the economy?

Reduction in staff (or time of staff) who are dedicated to addressing medication errors (e.g., medication or patient safety officer, risk/quality)		Specify:
Drug purchasing decisions (e.g., vials vs. prefilled syringes, reuse of single-use vials, pharmacy-compounded vs. premixed, drug shortages)		Specify:
Availability of medications (drugs/strengths/dosage forms)		Comments:
Unit-dose dispensing (e.g., less frequent patient-specific doses; more bulk supplies)		Comments:
Pharmacy-preparation of parenteral products/solutions		Comments:
Clinical presence of pharmacists in patient care units		Comments:
Independent double-checks (e.g., completed less frequently)		Comments:
Drug administration practices		Comments:
Patient education about medication therapy (oral/written)		Comments:
Other effects: Please describe in enough detail to be understood

4) Are you aware of any medication errors in the past year in which changes due to the economic downturn were a contributing factor?
Yes No DK
If yes, please describe in enough detail to be understood.

5) Have your leaders developed a plan to minimize backslide on patient safety during the economic downturn?
Yes No DK
If yes, please describe the most important attributes in enough detail to be understood.

6) Please select the categories that best describes YOU, YOUR POSITION in the organization, and your ORGANIZATION.
YOU: Physician Pharmacist Pharmacy Technician Nurse Other
YOUR POSITION: Administration Clinical Director Clinical Manager Staff Quality/Risk/Safety Educator Other
YOUR ORGANIZATION: Hospital Community Pharmacy Ambulatory Care Long-term Care Homecare Academic Other