Drug shortages are caused by an eclectic mix of factors including business decisions, manufacturing problems, and product discontinuation  (Fox & Tyler, 2003). These shortages in the healthcare system can compromise efficiency and safety by delaying treatment protocol, increasing cost, complicating reimbursement, increasing necessary labor, and increasing the likelihood of medical errors due to subpar substitutes (McBride et al., 2013).

Our APSS outline actionable steps healthcare organizations should take to successfully implement and sustain behavior change for high reliability, shared understanding, thorough communication, and meaningful person-centered care across the organization.

Actionable steps include:

• Executive Summary Checklist
• Leadership checklist guide to determine whether current evidence-based guidelines are being followed in your organization
• Performance improvement plan to follow if improvements are necessary
• Clinical workflow for preoccupation with workflow for areas of improvement
• How to educate patients and family members about the significance of their role throughout the continuum
• Guidance on how to measure outcomes