objectiveTo review the literature on the subject of quality improvement principles and methods applied to pharmacy services and to describe a framework for current and future efforts in pharmacy services quality improvement and effective drug therapy management.

backgroundThe Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy produced the

findingsThere are many opportunities for quality improvement in clinical, service, and cost outcomes related to drug therapy management. These may include patient safety; incidence of medical errors; adverse drug events; patient adherence to therapy; attainment of target goals of blood pressure, glucose, and lipid levels; risk reduction for adverse cardiac events and osteoporotic-related fractures; patient satisfaction; risk of hospitalization or mortality; and cost of care. Health care practitioners can measure improvements in health care quality in several ways including (a) a

conclusionsQuality improvement in health care services in the United States will be made in incremental changes that rely on a structure-process-outcome model. The DISCLOSURES: Authors Richard N. Fry and Steven G. Avey are employed by the Foundation for Managed Care Pharmacy, a nonprofit charitable trust that serves as the educational and philanthropic arm of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy; author Frederic R. Curtiss performed the majority of work associated with this manuscript prior to becoming editor-in-chief of the