Preparing for a Joint Commission Survey may not top your list of favorite things, nonetheless it requires a great deal of preparation to ensure compliance.

Whether your compliance goals for 2009 are simply to become more familiar with the new language and formatting of the standards or you need to develop specific policies for the storage and security of medications in your radiology department, PP&P is here to help. This month, two of our articles address some of the challenges in preparing for a survey.

In the Pharmaceutical Waste Management Update (starting on page 22), Charlotte Smith points out The Joint Commission’s increased attention to medication waste issues including the recent addition of health care engineers — with an expertise in waste management issues — to the Joint Commission staff.

Medication reconciliation continues to be a challenge for many institutions and it remains one of the most frequently scored issues in hospital surveys. To assist you in implementing both the new requirements for medication reconciliation, as well as understanding the existing requirements that have proved challenging, Kurt Patton provides expert guidance on Meeting The Joint Commission’s 2009 Requirements for Medication Reconciliation, starting on page 6. 

While PP&P has provided expert guidance on survey preparation throughout the years, in 2009 we are offering you more personalized assistance. If you are facing specific
challenges in preparing for a survey, please submit your questions/challenges to us at TJCSurveys@pppmag.com. We will address your questions and offer expert opinion on the best solutions throughout the coming year.

All the best,



R. Mitchell Halvorsen
Publisher

P.S. Keep an eye out for the annual PP&P Resource Guide coming in your January issue.