The Academy's Agenda for Improving the Safety of Medication Use: Report of the 2006-2007 Argus Commission.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Argus Commission comprises the five immediate past presidents of the Association. This Commission is named for a mythological being attributed to be all-seeing. These leaders serve the Association to scan the environment and interpret implications for policy and action. The Commission also convenes at the request of the standing AACP president to offer their views and analysis on focused areas. AACP 2006-07 President Marilyn Speedie asked the Argus Commission to review and discuss the most recent report in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Quality Chasm Series: Preventing Medication Errors.1 The Argus Commission specifically was charged to analyze the report and discern the implications of the report's recommendations on the Association and its member institutions. Given the impact that the Quality Chasm Series has had on healthcare policy and education, it is imperative that the academy is prepared to take a leadership role in responding to the call for action on the safety of medication use. Pharmacy education recognized the need for more proactive medication management over a decade ago and has completed the process of transitioning all pharmacy graduates to professional education at the doctoral level. Doctor of Pharmacy degree program accreditation standards2 adopted in January 2006 and implemented July 1, 2007 fully embrace the five core competencies articulated in the IOM report, Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality. Specifically, all health professionals should be educated to provide patient-centered care as members of an interdisciplinary team, emphasizing evidence-based practice, quality improvement and using informatics.3