Medication Compounding Certification Benefits Providers

Medication Compounding (MDC) Certification recognizes organizations that demonstrate excellence through compliance with Joint Commission standards based on USP standards for medication compounding. The certification keeps pace with the latest technology and provides an independent evaluation and validation that your organization complies with:

• USP general chapters <797> and <795>: Process, testing and verification of compounded sterile (<797>) and nonsterile (<795>) preparations
• USP General Chapter <800>: New practice and quality standards for hazardous drugs, to be implemented by December 2019.

To develop the certification, we used input from expert pharmacists with specific expertise in sterile and nonsterile compounding. The certification focuses on:

• People: Training, proper use of personal protective equipment and aseptic technique
• Product: Sterility of base products, beyond-use dates and labeling
• Environment: Airflow, buffer areas, guidelines for cleaning and documentation, and storage

Certification can help you enhance safety practices and efficiency. Your organization can:

• Reduce risk and harm
• Help ensure USP compliance
• Discover and remedy hidden gaps in policies and procedures
• Engage staff in improvements
• Gain access to The Joint Commission’s leading practices library
• Receive the world’s most recognized “seal of approval” 

Joint Commission reviewers — pharmacists with training and experience in evaluating USP compliance — assess risks and standards compliance during an on-site review. They create a positive learning environment that drives performance improvement. Reviewers use individual and system tracers to evaluate processes, personnel training and facility design.

In addition, our Survey Analysis for Evaluating Risk (SAFER^™) approach helps your organization identify risks and prioritize and focus on corrective actions. Your team learns evidence-based practices they can incorporate to achieve compliance and improve performance.

If your organization provides sterile and nonsterile medication compounding services, you’re eligible to apply. You don’t have be a Joint Commission-accredited organization to receive this certification. Certifications are valid for two years.

To get started:

• Get a 90-day trial of the standards: Our certification standards are aligned with USP standards. Meeting these standards shows your patients you provide quality compounded medications.
• Conduct a gap analysis: Whether you have internal resources to conduct an assessment or you’re looking for an external objective view, this is an important step in gauging compliance and priorities.