Facilitators and challenges to conducting interdisciplinary research.

Background: Complex, interconnected issues challenge the United States health care system and the patients and families it serves. System fragmentation, limited resources, rigid disciplinary boundaries, institutional culture, ineffective communication, and uncertainty surrounding health policy legislation are contributing to suboptimal care delivery and patient outcomes.

Methods: These problems are too complex to be solved by a single discipline.

Nurse-pharmacist collaboration on medication reconciliation prevents potential harm.

Background: Medication reconciliation can prevent some adverse drug events (ADEs). Our prospective study explored whether an easily replicable nurse-pharmacist led medication reconciliation process could efficiently and inexpensively prevent potential ADEs.

Methods: Nurses at a 1000 bed urban, tertiary care hospital developed the home medication list (HML) through patient interview.

Health care workers as second victims of medical errors.

Introduction: "Second victims" are health care providers who are involved with patient adverse events and who subsequently have difficulty coping with their emotions. Growing attention is being paid to making system improvements to create safer health care and to the appropriate handling of patients and families harmed during the provision of medical care. In contrast, there has been little attention to helping health care workers cope with adverse events.

Critical assessment of statewide hospital pharmaceutical surge capabilities for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive incidents.

Introduction: In recent years, government and hospital disaster planners have recognized the increasing importance of pharmaceutical preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) events, as well as other public health emergencies. The development of pharmaceutical surge capacity for immediate use before support from the (US) Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) becomes available is integral to strengthening the preparedness of local healthcare networks.

Methods: The Pharmaceutical Response Project served as an independent, multidisciplinary collaboration to assess statewide hospital pharmaceutical response capabilities.

Are regional hospital pharmacies prepared for public health emergencies?

Introduction: In the event of a major chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) attack or a natural disaster, large quantities of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies may be required with little or no warning. Pharmaceutical surge capacity for immediate response, before Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) supplies become available, remains a significant gap in emergency preparedness. To date, limited attempts have been made to assess collective regional hospital pharmaceutical response capabilities.