Initiating a drug blood level monitoring program through CQI.

Abstract

A blood level monitoring program was developed at St. James Hospital and Health Centers--a 472-bed community hospital located in Chicago Heights, IL. The primary goal of the program was to improve patient care by ensuring that drug levels were within their target range for the condition being treated. Additional benefits obtained from the program included meeting Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's standards for medication monitoring and generating additional revenue for the institution from pharmacokinetic consults. Highlights of the service and its implementation are presented in this article.