Abstracts and full applications for the awards program will be evaluated using the selection criteria listed below. These same selection criteria will be used during the site visit evaluations for determination of the recipient and finalist organizations. Below each criterion, examples of questions that will be considered by reviewers during the full application review are provided.   

Medication-Use System Initiative Scope (15 points)
• Was the underlying medication safety problem or challenge quantifiable with reliable baseline data?
• Do the baseline data provide significant and compelling evidence of a medication safety problem or challenge that required performance improvement? 
• Is the scope of the medication safety improvement initiative hospital/system-wide and broad in nature?
• Does the medication safety improvement initiative encompass multiple components of the medication-use system?
• Was the approach for ensuring interdisciplinary teamwork and cooperation innovative and effective?

Pharmacist Leadership (15 points)
• Is there evidence of the pharmacist’s role in identification of the underlying medication safety problem?
• Is there evidence that a pharmacist led the implementation of the medication safety improvement initiative?
• Is there evidence of the pharmacist’s role in analyzing outcome data, communicating results and assessing institutional impact?

Planning and Implementation (10 points)
• Was the medication safety improvement initiative implemented by an interdisciplinary team?
• Was the medication safety improvement initiative well-designed and based on comprehensive plans and timetables?
• Were the goals and objectives of the medication safety improvement initiative defined in advance of planning and implementation?  Were reliable measures to determine success with the objectives developed in advance of planning and implementation?  
• Is there evidence that during planning a process was developed to identify continuously barriers to implementation and respond to those barriers?
• Did the implementation plan include processes for communicating with and educating staff about the implementation of the medication safety improvement initiative? 

Measurable Outcomes and Impact (35 points)
• Are data available that demonstrate a positive impact on the medication safety problem or challenge that required performance improvement? Do these data address patient-centered safety, therapeutic, humanistic and/or economic outcomes? Do the data show evidence of reductions in morbidity, mortality, preventable adverse drug events, inpatients’ lengths of stay, hospital readmissions, emergency department visits and/or overall costs of care? 
• Is there evidence that interim outcome data and other feedback were analyzed to determine a need for adjustments in the implementation plan, if applicable?
• Have the results of the project been communicated and utilized within the institution to enhance medication safety in other areas?

Innovation and Generalizability (25 points)
• Is the medication safety improvement initiative innovative?
• Is there evidence that the medication safety improvement initiative can be sustained in the institution over the long term?
• Can the components of the medication safety improvement initiative be adopted in other hospitals or health-systems?
• Have the results of the initiative been communicated to other health professionals and health care organizations via professional networks, professional meeting presentations and publication in the biomedical literature? If no, are there plans to do so?  
• Did the initiative demonstrate an innovative approach to use of resources (i.e., dollars, staff time, techniques, and tools)?