Best Practice Award

  • Winner 2021 ICHP Best Practice Award
    Software-Aided Compounding: Adopting Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Documentation 
    Submitting Author: Ron Hartman, PharmD; Regional Director of Pharmacy Operations, OSF Healthcare
    Other Authors: Patty Kohli, RPh; Karin Terry, PharmD, CPPS; Elizabeth Harthan, PharmD, BCPS;
    Heather Harper, PharmD, BCPS; Jamie Martin, PharmD
    (Poster pdf) 
    (2021 KeePosted BP Article) 

  • Learning Objectives for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians::
    1. State the patient care-centered benefits of instituting software-aided compounding within a health system.
    2. List the documentation benefits that can be gained by instituting software-aided compounding within a health system.

  • For questions/comments contact Dr. Hartman at Ronald.C.Hartman@osfhealthcare.org.

    acpeACPE ACCREDITATION:
    This program is provided by the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP).  The Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.  This program is equivalent to 0.5 contact hour (0.05 CEU) of pharmacy continuing education.

    Target Audience: Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

    Program release date: November 1, 2021
    Program expiration date: November 1, 2024

    TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Knowledge-based

    ACPE Universal Activity Numbers:
    0121-0000-21-098-H05-P
    0121-0000-21-098-H05-T

    FACULTY DISCLOSURE: It is the policy of ICHP to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its education programs.  In accordance with this policy, faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of these continuing pharmacy education programs.  Any resident or fellow presentation is reviewed by a content specialist preceptor. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose for this program.

    The 2021 Best Practice Award winner, Software-Aided Compounding: Adopting Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Documentation, is available as a home-study for CPE credit beginning November 1, 2021 through October 31, 2024. To earn your CPE credit, you must read the manuscript in the November 2021 issue of KeePosted, available in print (pages 18-21), or online as a PDF (link above). After reading the article, log in to your CESally.com account, search for this title, add to your To Do List, go to your To Do List and then Start To Do List to complete the process: answer the self-assessment questions, complete the evaluation, and submit for credit. For information on how to set up your CESally account, go to our CESally Info Page. Upon successful completion, your credit is uploaded to CPE Monitor where you may view / print a transcript. Your credit will be visible within 24-48 hours on CPE Monitor.



  • Winner 2020 ICHP Best Practice Award
    Pharmacist Role in a Pediatric Lupus Clinic
    by Shannon M. Rotolo, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, UChicago Medicine, Chicago, IL; Grace Lynn Cameron, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, UChicago Medicine, Chicago, IL; Constentina Talevski, BA, CPhT, Ambulatory Medication Access Coordinator, UChicago Medicine, Chicago, IL.

    LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR PHARMACISTS:
    1. Identify age-based medication management tasks appropriate for this setting.
    2. Select an appropriate weight-based hydroxychloroquine dose for a pediatric patient with lupus.

    LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR TECHNICIANS:
    1. Describe strategies to reduce out-of-pocket medication costs for patients/families. 
    2. Identify other multidisciplinary team members that a pharmacy technician may interact with in a pediatric lupus clinic.

    acpeACPE ACCREDITATION:
    This program is provided by the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP).  The Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.  This program is equivalent to 0.5 contact hour (0.05 CEU) of pharmacy continuing education.

    Target Audience: Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

    Program release date: November 1, 2020
    Program expiration date: November 1, 2023

    TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Knowledge-based

    ACPE Universal Activity Numbers:
    0121-0000-20-084-H01-P
    0121-0000-20-084-H01-T

    FACULTY DISCLOSURE: It is the policy of ICHP to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its education programs.  In accordance with this policy, faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of these continuing pharmacy education programs.  Any resident or fellow presentation is reviewed by a content specialist preceptor. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose for this program.

    The 2020 Best Practice Award winner, Pharmacist Role in a Pediatric Lupus Clinic, is available as a home-study for CPE credit beginning November 1, 2020 through December 31, 2023. To earn your CPE credit, you must read the manuscript in the November 2020 issue of KeePosted, available in print (pages 34-37), or online as a PDF here: BP 2020 Journal Article PDF. After reading the article, log in to your CESally.com account, search for this title, add to your To Do List, go to your To Do List and then Start To Do List to complete the process: answer the self-assessment questions, complete the evaluation, and submit for credit. For information on how to set up your CESally account, go to our CESally Info Page. Upon successful completion, your credit is uploaded to CPE Monitor where you may view / print a transcript. Your credit will be visible within 24-48 hours on CPE Monitor.


  • Winner 2019 ICHP Best Practice Award
    Reduction of Harm from Opioid Therapy through Focused Improvement in the Opioid Medication Use Process
    by Adam Bursua, PharmD, BCPS, Assistant Director, Medication Safety and Quality, UI Health; Connie Larson, PharmD, Senior Associate Director, Safety and Quality, UI Health; Jane McCullough, PharmD, PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Resident, UIC-College of Pharmacy

    LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR PHARMACISTS:
    1. Recognize the scope of the opioid epidemic affecting the United States.
    2. Describe the use of a naloxone "trigger tool" for measuring opioid safety and identifying system.
    3. Identify system level interventions to reduce harm from opioid therapy.

    LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR TECHNICIANS:
    1. Recognize the scope of the opioid epidemic affecting the United States.
    2. Describe the use of a naloxone "trigger tool" for measuring opioid safety and identifying system.
    3. Identify system level interventions to reduce harm from opioid therapy.

    acpeACPE ACCREDITATION:
    This program is provided by the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP).  The Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.  This program is equivalent to 0.5 contact hour (0.05 CEU) of pharmacy continuing education

    Target Audience: Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians

    Program release date: November 1, 2019
    Program expiration date: November 1, 2022

    TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Knowledge-based

    ACPE Universal Activity Numbers:
    0121-0000-19-050-H05-P
    0121-0000-19-050-H05-T

    FACULTY DISCLOSURE: It is the policy of ICHP to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all of its education programs.  In accordance with this policy, faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of these continuing pharmacy education programs.  Any resident or fellow presentation is reviewed by a content specialist preceptor. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose for this program.

    The 2019 Best Practice Award Winner, Reduction of Harm from Opioid Therapy through Focused Improvements in the Opioid Medication Use Process, is available as a home-study for CPE credit. To earn your CPE credit, you must read the manuscript in the November 2019 issue of KeePosted, available in print or online here: Best Practice Journal Article. Then go to CESally.com to answer the self-assessment questions and complete your credit. Once you have logged into your CESally.com account search on the program title, add to your To Do List, then go to To Do List and Start To Do List. For information on how to set up your CESally account, go to our CESally Info Page


    • 2018 Winner
      Zahra Khudeira, PharmD, MA, BCPS, CPPS
      Medication Safety Officer, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Health System
      Co-authors: Ashleigh Swearingen, MD; Carlos Sandoval, MD; Lelas Shamaileh, P4; Noha Mohamed, P4; Serene Abuzir, P4; Alexander Frank, MS
      "Use of Multimodal Analgesia in Women Post-Cesarean Section: From Innovation to Bedside" 
      If you would like to read this manuscript for informational purposes, you can find it in the November 2018 KeePosted

    • 2017 Winner
      Sandra M. Salverson , PharmD, BCPS, Vice President, Pharmacy Operations
      OSF Healthcare System
      Jerry Storm, RPh, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services
      OSF Healthcare System
      "Implementation of Integrated Telepharmacy Services Achieve a Health-System Standard of Pharmacy Care"
      If you would like to read this manuscript for informational purposes, you can find it in the September/October 2017 KeePosted

    • 2016 Winner
      Maya Beganovic, PharmD and Sarah M. Wieczorkiewicz, PharmD, BCPS
      Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
      "MALDI-TOF alone versus MALDI-TOF combined with real-time antimicrobial stewardship interventions on time to optimal therapy in patients with positive blood cultures"
      If you would like to read this manuscript for informational purposes, you can find it in the September/October 2016 issue of KeePosted.

    • 2015 Winner 
      Kuntal Patel, Pharm.D., Pavel Prusakov, and Heather Vaule
      Mount Sinai Health System
      "Osteopenia of Prematurity (aka Better Bones for Babies)"
      If you would like to read this manuscript for informational purposes, you can find it in the September/October 2015 issue of KeePosted.

    • 2014 Winner
      Arti Phatak, Pharm.D.; Brooke Ward, Pharm.D., BCPS; Rachael Prusi, Pharm.D.; Elizabeth Vetter, Pharm.D.; Michael Postelnick, BS Pharm, BCPS (AQ Infectious Diseases); and Noelle Chapman, Pharm.D., BCPS
      Northwestern Memorial Hospital
      "Impact of Pharmacist Involvement in the Transitional Care of High-Risk Patients through Medication Reconciliation, Medication Education, and Post-Discharge Callbacks"
      If you would like to read this manuscript for informational purposes, you can find it in the November 2014 issue of KeePosted.

    • 2013 Winner
      Nicole Rabs, Pharm.D., Sarah M. Wieczorkiewicz, Pharm.D., BCPS, Michael Costello, PhD, and Ina Zamfirova, BA - Department of Pharmacy, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL
      "Development of a Urinary-Specific Antibiogram for Gram Negative Isolates: Impact of Patient Risk Factors on Susceptibility"
    • 2012 Winner
      Kathryn Schiavo, PharmD; George Carro RPh, MS, BCO ; Abigail Harper, PharmD, BCO P; Betty Fang, PharmD; Palak Nanavati, PharmD - NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL
      "Outpatient Oncology Treatment Center Approach to Enhancing Continuity of Care Related to Dispensing Oral Chemotherapeutic Agents"

    • 2011 Winner
      Fatima Ali, PharmD; Sarah Wieczorkiewicz, PharmD, BCPS; Jill Cwik, PharmD; Robert Citronberg, MD, FACP, FIDSA
      "Procalcitonin-Guided Duration of Antimicrobial Therapy for the Treatment of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections"

    • 2010 Winner
      Nina Huang, PharmD; Huzefa Master, PharmD, BCPS
      "Impact of Pharmacist Conducted Discharge Medication Counseling"

    • 2009 Winner
      Sandra Salverson, PharmD, BCPS; Karin Terry, PharmD
      “Leading Medication Safety through the Use of Microsystem and Macrosystem Medication Safety Officers”

    • 2008 Winner
      Jered Bauer, PharmD
      “A Pharmacist-Led Program to Address Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in a Community Hospital”


    The objective of the Best Practice Award program is to encourage the development of innovative or creative pharmacy practice programs or innovative approaches to existing pharmacy practice challenges in health systems within the state of Illinois.

    Applicants will be judged on their descriptions of programs and practices employed in their health system based on the following criteria:
    • Innovativeness / originality
    • Contribution to improving patient care
    • Contribution to institution and pharmacy practice
    • Scope of project
    • Quality of submission