An Analysis of Quality Improvement Education at US Colleges of Pharmacy

Abstract

Objective. Analyze quality improvement (QI) education across US pharmacy programs. Methods. This was a two stage cross-sectional study that inspected each accredited school website for published QI curriculum or related content, and e-mailed a questionnaire to each school asking about QI curriculum or content. T-test and chi square were used for analysis with an alpha a priori set at .05. Results. Sixty responses (47% response rate) revealed the least-covered QI topics: quality dashboards / sentinel systems (30%); six-sigma or other QI methodologies (45%); safety and quality measures (57%); Medicare Star measures and payment incentives (58%); and how to implement changes to improve quality (60%). More private institutions covered Adverse Drug Events than public institutions and required a dedicated QI class; however, required QI projects were more often reported by public institutions. Conclusion. Despite the need for pharmacists to understand QI, it is not covered well in school curricula.

Quality Improvement and Safety in US Pharmacy Schools

“…1,3 It is imperative that during their education, pharmacy students be trained to have the key skills for improving quality of services and reducing potential errors, methods of improving the quality of care received by patients, and specific training to improve patient and medication safety during their professional careers. 4,5 Ultimately this helps patients achieve an optimum level of care.…”

“…Previous studies have reviewed the least-covered areas of QI in schools of pharmacy across the United States, the extent to which QI is taught, and initiated a direct comparison of QI education among ACPEaccredited and non-ACPE-accredited schools of pharmacy. 5 The curriculum and extent of QI teaching varies widely among the ACPE-accredited and non-ACPE-accredited schools of pharmacy. 5 Frequently covered QI topics with regards to safety include how to identify areas for improvement, medication error prevention and reporting, organizations involved in quality, and methods for implementing QI initiatives.…”

“…5 The curriculum and extent of QI teaching varies widely among the ACPE-accredited and non-ACPE-accredited schools of pharmacy. 5 Frequently covered QI topics with regards to safety include how to identify areas for improvement, medication error prevention and reporting, organizations involved in quality, and methods for implementing QI initiatives. 5 Some schools report not providing any education in QI, while others report having a year-long course and project dedicated to this topic.…”

“…5 Frequently covered QI topics with regards to safety include how to identify areas for improvement, medication error prevention and reporting, organizations involved in quality, and methods for implementing QI initiatives. 5 Some schools report not providing any education in QI, while others report having a year-long course and project dedicated to this topic. 5 Providing quality education on QI and safety allows students to learn important skills that will assist them in reducing the number of errors made during their career.…”

“…5 Some schools report not providing any education in QI, while others report having a year-long course and project dedicated to this topic. 5 Providing quality education on QI and safety allows students to learn important skills that will assist them in reducing the number of errors made during their career. Schools perceived to be demonstrating exemplary QI and safety education have not yet been explored or described.…”