From the December 2005 issue

It was with great pleasure that we held our 8th Annual ISMP CHEERS Awards Dinner on December 6, 2005 in Las Vegas, NV, to honor some organizations and individuals who have set a standard of excellence in the prevention of medication errors.

Along with those who were recognized in the acute care setting, CHEERS rang out for these Award recipients who effectively brought improved patient safety to the community setting:

• CLARION, a student committee of the Center for Health Interprofessional Programs at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, was recognized for developing a case competition that brings together healthcare professions from different disciplines–medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health, and healthcare administration–to solve real problems involving patient safety. The competition was expanded nationally in 2005, when the winning team from the local competition went on to compete with six other schools from across the country.

• Johns Hopkins Community Physicians were honored for their dedication to addressing interdisciplinary medication safety issues in the community setting, with a particular focus on non-licensed personnel who administer medications. Other elements of the medication safety campaign include a substantial awards program for staff who recommend safety improvements, an internal newsletter, and an interdisciplinary clinical care committee.

• Target Corporation was recognized for its bold step in launching a redesigned pharmacy vial and container, known as the ClearRx SM system, which will hopefully spark similar changes throughout the community pharmacy industry. The system was created by graphic artist Debra Adler after her grandmother mistakenly took her grandfather’s medications. It offers many safety features, including larger, easier-to-read text, placement of the most important information at the top of the label, and attached medication information cards.