ASHP Joins Governance of the Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation

PRESS RELEASE

January 22, 2013 — WASHINGTON, DC — The Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA) today announced the addition of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) to its governance body. Formed in the fall of 2011, CPPA took a leadership role in pharmacy practice accreditation that ensures pharmacist involvement in shaping the use and direction of the standards for pharmacy practice accreditation programs.

“CPPA is pleased to partner with ASHP in this valuable pharmacy practice accreditation venture,” stated Lynnae M. Mahaney, BSPharm, MBA, FASHP, CPPA Executive Director. “ASHP’s leadership and experience in hospital and health-system pharmacy practice will be important as we prepare to develop accreditation standards for additional practice settings. “By joining with CPPA, ASHP continues to demonstrate its longstanding support for voluntary accreditation processes that improve patient care quality.”

“ASHP is pleased to be joining with CPPA on this important effort to help health care organizations demonstrate quality and excellence in the medication use process,” said ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, FASHP. “ASHP joined CPPA because we believe that patient care will be improved through the development and widespread use of voluntary accreditation standards that help ensure quality throughout the entire medication-use process.”

CPPA oversees the development and implementation of the standards process for the pharmacy practice accreditation program. CPPA’s board has approved the first standards for community pharmacy practice accreditation and expects to release the standards and open the accreditation process in early 2013. The voluntary community pharmacy practice accreditation program will be focused on recognizing quality, enhancing patient safety and providing a mechanism for excellence-committed community pharmacy practices to distinguish themselves. CPPA anticipates the future development of accreditation standards for other pharmacy practice settings.