Medication management remains a critical focus for accreditation, quality, and patient safety. This episode features highlights from a recent Vizient and Joint Commission live broadcast exploring updated medication management standards, National Patient Safety Goals, and key survey observations affecting healthcare organizations today. Dr. Robert Campbell from Joint Commission and Diana Scott from Vizient join host Carolyn Liptak to discuss why standards evolve, emerging areas of risk, and practical insights to help organizations strengthen safe, high-quality care.

Guest speakers: Robert Campbell, PharmD, BCSCP Sr. Director, Standards Interpretation, Accreditation Decision Management, Medication Safety Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations Joint Commission

Diana Scott, MHA, RN, CPHQ Principal, Regulatory and Accreditation Services Vizient

Host:  Carolyn Liptak, MBA, BS Pharm  Pharmacy Executive Director, Regulatory Compliance  Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence

Show Notes:

[01:09] Updates to the Joint Commission standards and the focus on relevance, usefulness, and patient safety.

[02:13] Joint Commission replaced national patient safety goals with national performance goals. How medication management connects to other goals involving patient identification, care delivery, and health professional resource management.

[03:22] Looking beyond the number of findings to evaluate their potential impact, degree, and scope. A single observation can reveal a significant system or process failure requiring immediate attention.

[04:05] Multiple observations may now be grouped under one requirement for improvement, but each observation still requires correction.

[04:55] The three criteria used to identify an immediate threat to health or safety and taking action as soon as potential risks are identified during a survey.

[06:06] The difference between mitigation and abatement when addressing an immediate threat to health or safety.

[07:04] Situations in which Joint Commission may return within 23 calendar days to evaluate whether an issue has been corrected.

[07:38] Common concerns with titrated medications, including documentation that does not align with the most recent medication order.

[09:03] Medication safety responsibilities that extend across pharmacy, nursing, prescribers, procedural areas, and other departments.

[09:32] Sterile compounding concerns involving aseptic technique, hygiene, personal protective equipment, and environmental conditions.

[10:20] Immediate use compounding and the importance of distinguishing it from other preparation activities.

[10:46] Labeling medications and solutions in syringes, basins, bowls, cups, and other containers in procedural areas.

[11:18] Proper labeling as a simple but essential safeguard in fast-moving care environments.

[11:24] Medication management is a complex system that requires collaboration across multiple departments.

[12:11] Looking beyond requirement for improvement counts to evaluate the risks and scope behind each finding.

Links and Resources:

Joint Commission Medication Management Update 2026 – Vizient On Demand Webinar

Joint Commission Standards and Elements of Performance: Medication Management

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Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death, while evolving guidelines and increasingly aggressive LDL cholesterol targets are changing how clinicians approach lipid management. Jodi Martinez, Pharmacist Clinical Specialist in Cardiology at the University of Colorado Hospital, part of UCHealth, joins Kerry Schwarz, Senior Clinical Manager for Evidence Based Medicine and Outcomes with the Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence, to explore the emerging role of enlicitide in lipid management. They discuss the evidence behind its approval, its potential to expand patient access and where this first oral PCSK9 inhibitor may fit alongside existing therapies.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jodi Martinez, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCP, HF-CERT Pharmacist Clinical Specialist in Cardiology University of Colorado Hospital, UCHealth

Host: Dr. Kerry Schwarz, Pharm.D., MPH Senior Clinical Manager, Evidence-Based Medicine and Outcomes Vizient Center for Pharmacy Practice Excellence 

Show Notes:

[01:26]

• The limitations of current lipid management and why many high-risk patients still struggle to reach increasingly aggressive LDL cholesterol targets.
• How cost, prior authorization requirements and step therapy can create barriers to accessing injectable PCSK9 therapies.

[03:27]

• The evidence behind enlicitide and findings from the CORALreef clinical trial supporting its FDA approval.
• How enlicitide performed across LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, ApoB and lipoprotein(a) endpoints, and why cardiovascular outcomes remain an important unanswered question.

[06:37]

• An oral PCSK9 inhibitor could expand access by offering an alternative to specialty injectable therapies.
• Why retail pharmacy availability, cost and greater prescribing flexibility could help more patients receive intensive lipid lowering therapy.

[08:11]

• The potential barriers to enlicitide adoption, including delays in formulary review, insurance coverage and the administrative burden placed on clinicians.
• The lack of published cardiovascular outcomes could influence payer coverage, formulary placement and early uptake.

[10:15]

• Station remains the cornerstone of lipid management and where enlicitide may ultimately play a role
• Clinicians may consider the amount of LDL reduction a patient needs when choosing among available therapies.

Links and Resources:

2022 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway on the Role of Nonstatin Therapies for LDL-Cholesterol Lowering in the Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee

2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

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One of the most difficult—and least discussed—aspects of building a Consolidated Service Center (CSC) is securing executive support and capital investment. Success depends on connecting strategy, financial value and patient outcomes to an organization's broader goals. Ganesh Chandran is joined by Dr. Akeem Bale, Vice President, Pharmacy Services at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and Dr. Laura Mark, Vice President of Pharmacy at Allegheny Health Network, to discuss the strategic, financial, and organizational steps that transformed a promising idea into an approved capital investment.

Guest Speakers: Akeem O. Bale, PharmD, MS, MBA, BCPS, BCSCP Vice President, Pharmacy Services Program Director, PGY1/2 HSPAL Residency Program UTMB Health, Department of Pharmacy Services

Laura Mark, MS, MHM, PharmD Vice President of Pharmacy Allegheny Health Network

Host:   Ganesh Chandran, PharmD, MBA Pharmacy Executive Vizient Pharmacy Enterprise Support

Show notes:

[01:12]

• How each organization recognized that traditional pharmacy operations could no longer support future growth, expanding ambulatory care, and increasing operational complexity.
• Why long-term strategic planning, workforce challenges, and enterprise wide support became the driving forces behind pursuing a consolidated service center.

[04:39]

• How successful business cases focus on organizational priorities such as patient access, financial performance, quality outcomes, and total cost of care instead of technology alone.
• Why demonstrating measurable value through pilots, standardization, and return on investment helps gain executive support for large scale transformation.

[08:30]

• The importance of tailoring proposals to different executive stakeholders while building champions who can advocate for the vision.
• How early operational improvements and phased implementation can demonstrate value before construction or major capital investments begin.

[10:24]

• Why breaking a consolidated service center strategy into manageable phases creates confidence among executive leaders and improves long term success.
• How responding to executive questions with refined financial models and scenario planning strengthens both the proposal and organizational trust.

[13:12]

• How creating an enterprise wide pharmacy culture through standardization, trust, and shared leadership prepares teams for organizational change.
• Why establishing a one team philosophy before opening a new facility creates stronger collaboration and more sustainable operational success.

[16:56]

• Practical advice for pharmacy leaders beginning their own consolidated service center journey, including learning from peer organizations and celebrating incremental progress.
• Why a consolidated service center should be viewed as an enabler of a broader pharmacy strategy that supports long term growth, scalability, and patient care rather than simply a new building.

Links and Resources: Pharmacy Enterprise Support

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