An Rx Officer

Leroy Kromis’ unique position keeps patients safe

Redundancy equals safety

Medication safety officer Leroy Kromis, Pharm.D., works closely with caregivers to evaluate medications and protocols. On the neonatal intensive care unit, he worked with caregivers like Denise Keeler, R.N. (right), and unit-based pharmacist Jenny Boucher, Pharm.D. (center), to develop a new protocol for the anti-clotting drug heparin.

While people strive to eliminate redundancy in the workplace, medication safety officer Leroy Kromis, Pharm.D., encourages it. “The more we triple-check medications before  administering them, the more we ensure patients receive the right dose of the right medication at the right time,” he says.

An Allentown native and former high-school science teacher, Kromis came to Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network from Duke University Medical Center. He is one of only three dedicated medication safety officers in Pennsylvania and 20 nationwide. “The fact that I was hired in this capacity shows our commitment to patient safety,” he says.

Kromis evaluates new medications to determine if they’re appropriate for hospital use, educates caregivers about medication safety and ensures regulations are followed. He investigates patient event reports and helps caregivers solve medication safety problems.

Kromis also studies medication errors made at other hospitals to ensure similar incidents don’t occur here. When three infants died at an Indianapolis hospital after receiving an overdose of the anti-clotting drug heparin, Kromis collaborated with pediatric caregivers to design a preventative plan. Even though heparin is commonly used to flush intravenous lines, pediatric nurses suggested we stop storing it on patient units.

Now, whether it’s needed for a patient or to flush an IV, heparin is ordered by physicians by computer directly from the hospital pharmacy and is not stored on patient care units. “I work closely with nurses because they know best when it comes to delivering care at the bedside,” Kromis says.

Medication bar-coding, automated dispensing cabinets and pharmacy robots also are improving medication safety. “If we work together and use technology to triple-check medications, we’ll create a safer hospital for patients,” Kromis says. “Things might take a little longer, but it’s worth it.”

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