As a healthcare quality educator, PQA offers a wide range of learning and education opportunities. The goal of our education programs is to promote the use and impact of PQA measures and advance the quality of medication use through research, strategic partnerships, collaboration and a variety of learning venues.
Ten years ago, PQA established a Postdoctoral Executive Fellowship. The program has hosted 13 fellows, and everyone has successfully completed the program and moved into an important industry role, where they are leaders in pharmacy, medication services and quality improvement.
PQA offers a competitive Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiential (APPE) Rotation for pharmacy students, which provides experiential learning opportunities in non-profit association management, medication use quality education, communications, research and performance measurement. PQA works with individual students to align their rotation experience with desired career goals and interests. Applications for the 2024-25 year are now being accepted. You can apply here. Visit our Student Programs page for more information.
PQA has released the entire Medication Use Quality continuing education program and Medication Use Quality Certificate, which is a fully updated version of the program that was initially released in 2020.
PQA's webinars have a new look! Throughout the year, PQA provides various education opportunities to promote the use and impact of PQA measures and advance the quality of medication use. With a focus on new developments and best practices, our goal is to help quality-focused healthcare professionals in a variety of practice settings expand their knowledge and skills. PQA hosts four different webinar series to provide targeted education on a variety of topics. Each of our four webinars has a distinct purpose, and we are excited to showcase the new logo for each series. Below you'll find information on each series and how you can take advantage to advance your knowledge and expertise.
Foundational information on the structure of measure specifications and value sets is valuable for users of quality measures, accountable entities, or those learning about the basics of measure calculation. PQA’s Medication Use Quality continuing education program course, “Building Expertise in Calculating Measures,” provides a detailed overview of topics essential to calculating quality measures, such as reading a measure specification, calculating the eligible population (denominator), calculating the numerator, and understanding value sets.
Creating a quality improvement plan can seem daunting to many, but it is vital for value-based care and improved patient quality. PQA’s Medication Use Quality continuing education program course, "Quality Improvement Foundation," was designed to provide realistic approaches to implementing a quality improvement plan in a variety of settings.
Health information technology and public policy are two topics in health care that are continually evolving, as is their impact on medication use quality. With those factors in mind, the next Medication Use Quality continuing education program course, "Special Topics Impacting Quality," will provide a framework to understand each topic and resources to locate additional information. This framework will give learners the knowledge to understand those impacts on an ongoing basis.
PQA has released an additional course to the Medication Use Quality continuing education program. “Equity and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in Medication Use Quality” dives into foundational information about health equity concepts and external factors that may impact health outcomes and medication use quality, including SDOH.
PQA has released an updated Medication Use Quality continuing education program. The updated courses divide the previous 15-hour Medication Use Quality certificate into a more flexible program for busy professionals. Three courses, “Healthcare Quality Foundations,” “Measurement Program Foundations” and “Measuring Quality to Improve HIV Care,” are available now in the PQA Education Center.
PQA has launched a new scholarship program to help pharmacy and other health care professions students from diverse backgrounds attend the 2023 PQA Annual Meeting, May 10-12, in Nashville, Tenn.
PQA offers a competitive Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiential (APPE) Rotation for pharmacy students, which provides experiential learning opportunities in non-profit association management, medication use quality education, communications, research and performance measurement. PQA works with individual students to align their rotation experience with desired career goals and interests. Applications for the 2023-24 year are now being accepted. You can apply here. Visit our Student Programs page for more information.
PQA’s education programs provide health care quality professionals with the knowledge, training and resources needed to improve patient outcomes through safe and appropriate medication use. With an emphasis on new developments and best practices, PQA programs promote the use and impact of PQA measures and initiatives that support better medication use and high-quality, value-based care.
PQA provides education throughout the year to promote the use and impact of PQA measures and advance the quality of medication use. With a focus on new developments and best practices, our goal is to help quality-focused health care professionals in a variety of practice settings expand their knowledge and skills.
The PQA Quality Forum Webinar is a regular, recurring series on healthcare quality topics with a focus on medication use and medication services. It is a forum for educating and engaging with PQA members and quality-focused healthcare professionals.
Nadia Krigger, a Master of Public Health candidate at New York University participated in the PQA MPH Practicum Program during the Fall 2021 semester. Krigger has a background in biological and analytical research and her interests include infectious disease research and health policy. While at PQA, she supported development of a manuscript on the empirical validity of PQA’s opioid measures. She recently shared insights on her time with PQA and the value of a medication use quality-focused practicum for MPH students.
Public health encompasses a wide range of efforts related to promoting and protecting the health of people and communities. PQA’s mission is directly aligned with public health in that we seek to optimize health by advancing the quality of medication use. To do this, PQA has four main areas of focus: quality measure development, quality education, research, and convening. These areas provide an opportunity for students pursuing a master's degree in public health seeking field experience through our MPH Practicum Program.
PQA has created a new Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Resource Guide that profiles real-world SDOH services that are promising for improving the quality and safety of medication use with a focus on screenings, referrals and interventions conducted by or involving pharmacists or pharmacies. Richard Schmitz, PQA’s Chief Engagement Officer, provides insights on the guide, it’s origins and what’s next in this Q&A blog.
The Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) has developed a 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course on “Measuring Quality to Improve HIV Medication Use.” Launched September 8, the course complements CE and training programs that are focused on clinical practice.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a complex disease, and its prevention and treatment have progressed through scientific discoveries, clinical training, continuing education, and widespread public health campaigns. However, gaps in knowledge and practice remain, related to quality improvement and especially to medication use.
