Print

National Coordinating Council Established for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention July 28, 1995 — Fourteen health care organizations met July 19 at the first meeting of the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. The Council will promote the reporting, understanding, and prevention of medication errors. It will focus on ways to protect patient safety through the coordinated efforts of associations and agencies. Founding Council member organizations are the American Association of Retired Persons, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American Pharmaceutical Association, Federation of State Medical Boardœ of the U.S., U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Generic Pharmaceutical Industry Association, Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists participated in the meeting as an observer, pending consideration by its Board of Trustees of the invitation to full Council membership. Within the context of the Council mission relative to reporting, understanding and preventing medication errors, the goals of the Council will be to: stimulate the development and use of reporting and evaluation systems by individual health care organizations; stimulate reporting to a national system for review, analysis, and development of recommendations to reduce and prevent medication errors; examine and evaluate the causes of medication errors; increase awareness of medication errors and methods of prevention throughout the health care system, which includes health care organizations/facilities, delivery systems, practitioners, manufacturers, regulators, and consumers; and recommend strategies relative to system modifications, practice standards and guidelines, and changes in packaging, labeling, and product identity. William M. Ellis, M.S., R.Ph., executive director of the Pennsylvania Society of Hospital Pharmacists and The Center for Proper Medication Use, will serve as chairperson for two years. USP will serve as Secretariat to the Council. The Chairman of the USP Advisory Panel on Medication Errors serves as an ex officio member of the Council. Roster of Organizations and Representatives (as of 7/28/95): American Association of Retired Persons — Susan Oehme Raetzman American Hospital Association — Thomas Granatir American Medical Association — Joseph W. Cranston, Ph.D. American Nurses Association — Daniel J. O'Neal, III, M.A., RN, CS American Pharmaceutical Association — Susan C. Winckler, R.Ph. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists* — Charles E. Myers, M.S., M.B.A. Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States — Dale L. Austin, B.S.N., M.A. Food and Drug Administration — Sharon Smith Holston Generic Pharmaceutical Industry Association — Alice E. Till, Ph.D. Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations — Deborah Nadzam, Ph.D., R.N. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy — David R. Work, R.Ph., J.D. National Council of State Boards of Nursing — M. Teresa Mullin Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — Lawrence A. Gifford, M.D. United States Pharmacopeia — Diane D. Cousins, R.Ph. Representing USP Advisory Panel on Medication Errors (ex officio) — Michael R. Cohen, M.S., FASHP * Participating as an observer pending ASHP Board approval. Leadership & Member Organizations   © 1998–2010 National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. All Rights Reserved. *Permission is hereby granted to reproduce information contained herein provided that such reproduction shall not modify the text and shall include the copyright notice appearing on the pages from which it was copied.