PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has been appointed to manage the California Medication Errors Reporting Program, marking the nation’s first state-mandated program focused on medication error reporting in community pharmacies. This initiative follows Assembly Bill 1286, enacted in 2023 to enhance patient safety and improve pharmacy conditions.
Effective September 2024, California community pharmacies must confidentially report medication errors that reach patients to ISMP, as approved by the California Board of Pharmacy. These reports will provide critical insights into risks and errors in medication practices, helping to shape statewide safety improvements.
ISMP, a pioneer in medication safety, brings decades of experience managing error reporting and prevention programs. The institute’s existing national voluntary systems, including the ISMP National Medication Errors Reporting Program and ISMP Consumer Medication Errors Reporting Program, have proven instrumental in identifying trends and preventing harm across healthcare settings.
Using its expertise, ISMP will analyze submitted reports to uncover key safety trends and share recommendations for reducing errors. Annual reports submitted to the California Board of Pharmacy will include aggregated data and actionable strategies for improvement.
“The California Medication Errors Reporting Program will produce data-driven insights about preventable adverse events that can drive broad systemic change,” said Rita K. Jew, president of ISMP. “Reporting errors and near misses is essential to ensure the success of efforts to reduce risk in the community pharmacy setting. We applaud California for being a national leader in taking this forward-thinking step to safeguard patients and hope other states will implement similar programs.”
ISMP’s leadership in this groundbreaking initiative underscores its commitment to advancing medication safety on a national scale.
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