ASHP Announces Selection of Participants in Insulin Pen Safety Mentoring Program

Teams Will Work to Improve Safety of Insulin Pens in Hospitals

Fifteen hospitals that use insulin pens will participate in ASHP’s Mentored Quality Improvement Impact Program for Insulin Pen Safety. Participation in this initiative demonstrates the hospitals’ commitment to patients and continuous quality improvement by focusing on insulin pen safety in the hospital setting.

As part of the initiative, pharmacists with expertise in glycemic control and medication safety will evaluate the participating hospitals’ use of insulin pens and recommend strategies to help improve insulin pen safety within the hospital, as needed, using a team-based approach.

While it is well known that insulin is a high-risk medication that can cause serious patient harm if insulin pens are not used appropriately, it is often challenging for healthcare providers to pinpoint the potential safety risks and implement process improvements.

The participating sites were required to assemble an interprofessional team as part of the competitive application process. The selected sites and team leaders are as follows:

Ashtabula County Medical Center, Ashtabula, OH

Amanda Kobylinski, Pharm.D.

CHI Health Bergan Mercy, Omaha, NE

David Schmidt, Pharm.D.

Community Medical Center, Missoula, MT

Mikayla Klug, Pharm.D.

CVPH Medical Center, Plattsburgh, N Y

Michael Garvey, Pharm.D., BCPS

Goryeb Children's Hospital, Morristown, NJ

Suzannah Kokotajlo, Pharm.D.

Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, IN

R. Brian Wolfe, Pharm.D.

Kosair Children's Hospital, Louisville, KY

Tristan Murray, Pharm.D.

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, Philadelphia, PA

Richard Pacitti, Pharm.D., M.B.A.

Mercy Hospital of Joplin, Joplin, MO

Sarah Boyd, Pharm.D.

Munson Medical Center, Traverse City, MI

Julie Botsford, Pharm.D.

Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA

Sheena Babin, Pharm.D.

Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, North Providence, RI

Diana G. Mercurio, B.S.Pharm., CDOE, CVDOE

ProMedica Bay Park Hospital, Oregon, OH

Tari S. Cecil, B.S.Pharm.

St. Joseph's/Candler Health System, Savannah, GA

Tyler Prieskorn, Pharm.D.

UF Health, Shands Hospital, Gainesville, FL

Amy F. Rosenberg, Pharm.D.

The Mentored Quality Improvement Impact Program for Insulin Pen Safety is part of a quality improvement initiative designed for pharmacists who work in hospitals that use insulin pen devices for inpatients. The initiative was developed by a steering committee of pharmacists with expertise in glycemic control and medication safety and experience in using insulin pen devices in their hospitals.

Additional activities in this initiative are featured at www.onepenonepatient.org and include:

• An online tool kit featuring sample policies and procedures, assessment tools, newsletters, and educational resources that can be customized for use within individual hospitals.
• A resource center featuring useful web sites and published references, guidelines, and articles.
• A CE discussion guide focusing on the essentials of insulin pen safety within hospitals.
• Live CE webinars and on-demand CE activities featuring strategies for addressing potential inpatient safety issues related to the use of insulin pens.

The program was developed by ASHP Advantage, a division of ASHP, and is supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc.

About ASHP Advantage

Launched in 1995, ASHP Advantage specializes in developing customized educational activities to address identified educational gaps. As a division of ASHP, ASHP Advantage staff members stay apprised of key issues and trends shaping pharmacy practice and healthcare today. With access to the vast resources of ASHP and its membership, ASHP Advantage designs quality programs and projects for healthcare professionals. For more information about the services of ASHP Advantage, visit www.ashpadvantage.com.

About ASHP

ASHP represents pharmacists who serve as patient care providers in acute and ambulatory settings. The organization’s more than 40,000 members include pharmacists, student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. For over 70 years, ASHP has been on the forefront of efforts to improve medication use and enhance patient safety. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists advance healthcare, visit ASHP’s website, www.ashp.org, or its consumer website, www.safemedication.com.