Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 117.djvu/2189

 117 STAT. 2170 Deadline.

42 USC 299 note. Contracts.

VerDate 11-MAY-2000

13:59 Aug 30, 2004

Jkt 019194

PUBLIC LAW 108–173—DEC. 8, 2003 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the date that is 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on the study conducted under paragraph (1)(A). (B) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall contain— (i) a description of the plans of the Secretary to implement the provisions of this Act in a manner consistent with applicable State and Federal laws designed to protect the safety and quality of care of nursing facility patients; and (ii) recommendations regarding necessary actions and appropriate reimbursement to ensure the provision of prescription drugs to medicare beneficiaries residing in nursing facilities in a manner consistent with existing patient safety and quality of care standards under applicable State and Federal laws. (c) IOM STUDY ON DRUG SAFETY AND QUALITY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter into a contract with the Institutes of Medicine of the National Academies of Science (such Institutes referred to in this subsection as the ‘‘IOM’’) to carry out a comprehensive study (in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘study’’) of drug safety and quality issues in order to provide a blueprint for system-wide change. (2) OBJECTIVES.— (A) The study shall develop a full understanding of drug safety and quality issues through an evidence-based review of literature, case studies, and analysis. This review will consider the nature and causes of medication errors, their impact on patients, the differences in causation, impact, and prevention across multiple dimensions of health care delivery-including patient populations, care settings, clinicians, and institutional cultures. (B) The study shall attempt to develop credible estimates of the incidence, severity, costs of medication errors that can be useful in prioritizing resources for national quality improvement efforts and influencing national health care policy. (C) The study shall evaluate alternative approaches to reducing medication errors in terms of their efficacy, cost-effectiveness, appropriateness in different settings and circumstances, feasibility, institutional barriers to implementation, associated risks, and the quality of evidence supporting the approach. (D) The study shall provide guidance to consumers, providers, payers, and other key stakeholders on highpriority strategies to achieve both short-term and longterm drug safety goals, to elucidate the goals and expected results of such initiatives and support the business case for them, and to identify critical success factors and key levers for achieving success. (E) The study shall assess the opportunities and key impediments to broad nationwide implementation of medication error reductions, and to provide guidance to policymakers and government agencies (including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

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