First hospital receives Joint Commission's new compounding facility certification

Stephanie Dunlap, Certified Pharmacy Technician at Genesys Regional Medical Center. The hospital is the first to receive a new compounding facility certification that launched Jan. 1.

Photo courtesy of Genesys Regional Medical Center

Genesys Regional Medical Center is the first hospital to receive the Joint Commission’s new Medication Compounding Certification. The certification launched Jan. 1 for hospital’s seeking independent evaluation and validation of compliance with the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention’s general chapters 795 and 797, which set standards for facilities used for non-sterile and sterile preparations, respectively. It also evaluates for compliance with USP 800, which sets standards for medical compounding facilities used for hazardous drugs, which won’t become fully enforceable until July 1, 2018.

Genesys Regional’s certification is the result of enhanced regulations from Michigan’s state board of pharmacy requiring compounding pharmacies to obtain certification of their processes. The Michigan Health & Hospital Association provided guidance on the Joint Commission’s new certification.

“Being chosen first and meeting the Joint Commission standards is a great point of pride for the Genesys pharmacy team who has worked diligently for the past several years to assure the best sterile medication compounding practices are followed,” says Marc Guzzardo, director of the Genesys Pharmacy. “Knowing the surveyor completed an in-depth review of every requirement for medication compounding assures us that we are providing the highest level of quality and safety for our patients.”

Although Genesys is the first, the Joint Commission expects to certify more than 75 Michigan-based organizations this year. The Medication Compounding Certification is awarded for a two-year period.