Atlantic Quality Improvement Network (AQIN) Drug Safety Priority: Opiate Safety
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have awarded a 5-year contract to the Atlantic Quality Improvement Network (AQIN) to advance CMS healthcare priorities in the states of New York, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. Led by IPRO (NY) and leveraging the expertise of the Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (SC) and Qlarant (DC), AQIN seeks to reduce preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) due to high risk drugs, including hypoglycemics, anticoagulants, and opiates.
Reducing Opiate-Related ADEs
Recent evidence suggests that patients suffering from acute and chronic pain often receive suboptimal clinical care, and adverse events associated with opiate analgesics are common. While some centers provide exceptional care and clinical “best practices” have been identified, variability among healthcare providers persists and there remains much room for improvement.
IPRO and its AQIN partners invite you and your organization to participate in collaborative efforts to reduce ADEs due to opiate analgesics:
Pain Management Coalition: This multidisciplinary group seeks to increase awareness of pain management priorities, provide professional networking opportunities, align existing improvement efforts, develop and disseminate educational resources and clinical tools, and promote clinical research and publications relating to opiate analgesics. Professionals from all care settings, academia, and industry are welcome to join and participate in the Coalition through:
- Quarterly teleconferences across NY, SC, and DC (“Full Coalition Calls”)
- Steering Committee meetings (by invitation, identify priorities and charge Task Forces)
- Task Force teleconferences (smaller groups seeking to accomplish tangible, short-term goals, such as development of a needed clinical practice guide)
To learn more about participating in the AQIN Pain Management Coalition contact:
Anne Myrka, Director, Drug Safety, IPRO at anne.myrka@area-I.hcqis.org
Clinical Collaboration: AQIN partner organizations can also provide complementary technical assistance directly to healthcare systems and providers in the regions that they serve. As agents of CMS, IPRO and the AQIN partners may obtain and analyze private health information and access Medicare claims data to guide improvement efforts. Services include: data aggregation and analysis, root cause analysis, serial quality reports, and on-site consultations to facilitate rapid cycle quality improvement activities.
Community Pharmacy Opioid Safety Project
Learn more about our Special Innovation Project and access ACPE© credits and supporting materials regarding advanced opioid patient counseling and pharmacy based naloxone dispensing here.
Resources
- Prescription Drug Monitoring Program State Videos
- Pain Management (Joint Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs) Education Program
- CDC Rx Awareness Campaign Overview: Addressing the Prescription Opioid Crisis
- New Part D Opioid Overutilization Policies Call – Reducing Opioid Misuse – Jan. 2019
Slide sets for prescribers, pharmacists and patients are available to inform and educate the individual regarding the new Medicare Part D policies regarding opioid prescriptions.
Initiatives
- Cardiovascular Health
- Care Coordination
- Community Based Sepsis
- Diabetes Self-Management
- Drug Safety
- Immunization
- MAPPP
- Nursing Home Quality
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- Nursing Home Quality (NY)
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- QAPI Self-Assessment
- CASPER Data
- Eliminating Inappropriate Antipsychotic Medication Use
- Clinical Quality Measures (QM)
- Composite Measure Score
- NHQCC Collaborative I Kick-Off
- NHQCC Collaborative I Outcomes Congress
- QI/QAPI
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- Using a System's Approach to Quality & Performance Improvement
- Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative (NHQCC) Learning
- Engaging Staff in Individualized Care
- QAPI Self-Assessment and Related Resources
- QAPI In Action
- Quality Improvement (QI) Resources
- Quality Improvement Strategies
- Steps to QAPI
- Elements for Framing QAPI in Nursing Homes
- Clinical Topics
- Resources
- Consumers
- Nursing Home Quality (DC)
- Nursing Home Quality (SC)
- Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship
- Quality Payment Program
- Transforming End of Life
Contact Us
New York
Anne Myrka, Director, Drug Safety
518-320-3591
anne.myrka@area-i.hcqis.org
District of Columbia
Jennifer Thomas, PharmD
Medication Safety, Immunizations, &
Antibiotic Stewardship
Atlantic Quality Innovation Network – District of Columbia
Qlarant
7067 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 290
Columbia, Maryland 21046
Tel: 410-872-9698
(800) 876-3362, Ext. 11565
Secure Fax (516) 233-3355
thomasj@qlarant.com
South Carolina
Cheryl Anderson, Medication Safety Pharmacist
803-212-7560
Cheryl.Anderson@area-I.hcqis.org