Posts for Category: PQA Blogs

by Richard Schmitz PQA offers a new online continuing education and certificate program on Medication Use Quality. The program provides advanced training on quality measurement and strategies to improve medication safety, adherence and appropriate use. Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses and physicians can earn 15 accredited continuing education hours through the program.   The program empowers healthcare […]

by Emily Brock The PQA Quality Forum Webinar is a regular, recurring series on healthcare quality topics with a focus on medication use and medication services. It is a forum for educating and engaging with PQA members and quality-focused healthcare professionals. Interest in telehealth has skyrocketed with the COVID-19 and many advocates hope it will […]

Pharmacist-provided care, as a part of patient-centered team-based care, has an important role to play in improving access to care, patient experiences and health outcomes. The COVID crisis has multiplied the importance and urgency of access to high-quality care, especially among vulnerable populations and individuals with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. These […]

Chris Kotschevar is the 2020-21 PQA Executive Fellow. He is a PharmD graduate from South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions. Kotschevar joined PQA in June and has hit the ground running, helping to finalize and launch projects such as PQA’s Medication Use Quality continuing education and certificate program and the […]

Statement by PQA CEO Laura Cranston, RPh “After 15 years of leading PQA from a start-up organization to the nation’s only organization solely dedicated to optimizing health by advancing the quality of medication use, I will step down as CEO by the end of the year. This is a planned transition that will ensure PQA’s […]

Every session from the 2020 PQA Annual Meeting is now available to be viewed on demand in PQA’s new Education Center. Access to these recordings is available exclusively to individuals who registered to attend the meeting and PQA members. If you registered to attend the meeting, check your email for details on how to access […]

The PQA Annual Meeting continues on May 28 with the first of five weekly one-hour online sessions. Each week features a new educational session and an innovation theater, which is a commercial showcase of an organization’s innovations, technology, services or research. All sessions take place on the 2020 PQA Annual Meeting website. Use the same […]

The 2020 PQA Annual Meeting Poster Session will be presented online May 6 and 7 through two one-hour events. Our members have been hard at work developing the research that will be presented during the Poster Session, and we’re happy to provide a platform for showcasing their work! The Poster Session is open to all Annual […]

by Richard Schmitz The 2020 PQA Annual Meeting starts in two weeks on Wednesday, May 13. If you haven’t made plans to join us, register today! All of the meeting sessions you would experience at our in-person meeting will be delivered online.  The meeting takes place May 13-15 through five 90-minute sessions. If you can’t be […]

by Richard Schmitz PQA announced on Monday that the National Quality Forum has endorsed three PQA risk-adjusted adherence measures. These measures are used in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Part D Star Ratings Program, and they evaluate adherence to medications for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol. The updated measures include a valid […]

As the nation’s most accessible health care professionals — and through telehealth — pharmacists are being empowered to provide critical patient services; however, this work is not without risk, which also needs to be addressed. PQA members are advocating for and supporting pharmacists as our health system’s medication experts. They are: PQA Members in Action […]

Drug Shortages – and COVID-19 Early refills, drug substitutions, off-label use and supply chain interruptions may all contribute to drug shortages sparked by the COVID-19 crisis. PQA members are anticipating and responding to potential drug shortages. Here are some of the ways they’re taking action. This list is far from exhaustive and will be updated […]

Access to Care Social distancing, unemployment and current or anticipated financial difficulties for millions of Americans are affecting access to care and access to medications. PQA members are taking steps to overcome and eliminate the barriers that reduce patient access to care during the COVID crisis. Those efforts include: PQA Members in Action America’s Health […]

Every PQA member is involved in the fight against COVID-19, which is affecting every aspect of healthcare, including medication use quality. PQA wants to share with you some of the ways our member are addressing COVID challenges as the relate to: This week, we will debut an individual blog post dedicated to each of these three areas. […]

Laura Cranston, RPhPQA Chief Executive Officer The COVID-19 crisis is greatly affecting medication use, services and quality. Early refills, potential shortages, drug substitutions, reduced clinical visits and looming financial challenges for patients will all have an impact on medication adherence, patient outcomes and quality measure performance. At the same time, the expansion of telehealth services […]

PQA is launching a blog. It’s a new information channel to keep you updated on our work — in measure development, research, education and convening. We will share new information, additional commentaries and context for our initiatives to improve medication safety and appropriate use. If you have suggestions for topics, let us know: communications@PQAalliance.org. Also, […]