United States Department of Veterans Affairs






VA Center for Medication Safety - A Patient Safety Center for Inquiry

About Us

 

             MISSION

 

The mission of the VAMedSAFE PSCI is to identify, track and address preventable adverse drug events (ADEs).  The aim of VAMedSAFE is to improve the safety of drug prescribing practices and medication administration for veterans receiving treatment in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system. 

 

BACKGROUND

 

VAMedSAFE is a Patient Safety Center of Inquiry (PSCI) co-funded by the National Center for Patient Safety and VA National Pharmacy Benefits Management Services.  The emphasis of VAMedSAFE is given to evaluating preventable ADEs via conducting and promoting medication safety projects at the regional and national levels; providing interventions to decrease preventable ADEs; and educating the field on safe and best practices to minimize ADEs.  The Center provides feedback and guidance regarding ADE data unique to each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), while translating research and published evidence into national policy through its oversight of, and cooperative arrangements with, VISN Formulary Committees and Pharmacy leaders, the Medical Advisory Panel as well as other departments within VA. 

 

VA MEDSAFE STAFF

 

Francesca Cunningham, Pharm.D.      Director

Chester B. Good, M.D., MPH                   Co-Director

Peter A. Glassman, MBBS, MBA            Co-Director

Cheryl Benson                                          Administrative Officer

Sherrie Aspinall, Pharm.D.                     Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

Muriel Burk, Pharm.D.                              Project Director

Mariscelle Sales, Pharm.D.                    Project Director

Madeline McCarren, PhD, MPH             Statistician/Epidemiologist

Kwan Hur, PhD.                                        Biostatistician

Summer Chapman, BS                          Program Specialist/ Programmer

Michele Eskridge                                      Program Specialist/ Programmer

Lucy Pandey                                              Program Specialist/ Programmer

Diane Dong, RN, MS                                Data Analyst

Rong Jiang, M.D., MS                               Data Analyst

Ken Bukowski                                            Data Analyst

Yu Wang                                                      Data Analyst

XiangMing Wei                                            Data Analyst

Rongping Zhang                                        Data Analyst

 

PATIENT SAFETY GOALS

 

                                i.      Identify and Verify Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) 

                                ii.      Address Preventable Adverse Drug Events

                                iii.      Track Adverse Drug Events and Effects of Interventions

                                iv.      Educate and Communicate

                                v.      Promote Medication Safety Research in VA

                                vi.      Disseminate Safety Findings

 

CHANNELS FOR COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION