»Patient Safety Center for Research and Education

Patient Safety Center for Research and Education

PS-CARE is dedicated to the crucial improvement of patient outcomes by addressing two significant healthcare challenges: preventing medication errors and managing opioid misuse.

PS-CARE's work aligns with broader healthcare trends, including the shift toward value-based care and a greater emphasis on patient-centered approaches. Identifying preventable medication error strategies are ethical and financially prudent necessities that benefit healthcare systems.

Opioid misuse is a nationwide public health crisis, and effective management is essential. PS-CARE's focus on this issue, particularly in pharmacists' provision of buprenorphine, is significant for better access to treatments reducing stigma, and approaching OUD with a multidisciplinary approach to improve patient outcomes.

Patient Safety Conference

Balancing education and collaboration, the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists and CUSP co-host the annual Pacific Coast Patient Safety Conference to shape the trajectory of patient and medication safety.

Sessions focus on historical standards and future predictions in healthcare and attract a diverse audience, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.

Read: 4th Annual Patient Safety Conference

Get Involved with PCPSC 2026!

Education

In offering training for healthcare practitioners and students in a wide range of healthcare environments, PS-CARE equips professionals involved in patient care with the knowledge and skills to provide safe, high-quality services. PS-CARE offers Continuing Education (CE) to ensure that healthcare professionals stay up-to-date with evolving standards, regulations, and technologies in healthcare.

Research

PS-CARE's interdisciplinary team combines multiple specialties for collaborative research that impacts the future of medication error prevention, opioid use disorder treatment, prescribing errors, and safe medication disposal. This approach breaks down barriers that and ensures that evidence-based solutions are effectively implemented in Southern California.

Community Engagement

Participating in take-back programs and responsible disposal is a collective effort to ensure a safer and healthier community. PS-CARE and Chapman University are honored to be a community resource for informative updates regarding medication disposal kiosks, and information on other safe medication disposal methods to protect the community.

National Take Back Day

Chapman University and PS-CARE are proud supporters of safe drug disposal and share the Drug Enforcement Administration's commitment to preventing threats to public health and safety. Find a collection site near you.
National Take Back Day collection site locator.

Recent Activity

Guest Column in Patient Safety Movement Foundation

Column discusses pending federal and state legislation that intends to expand pharmacists' clinical services and scope of practice, furthering pharmacists' ability to serve patients and communities effectively.

Kang Receives Patient Safety Award

Kang wins CUSP's Patient Safety Award for her proposal on improving outpatient UTI management. Her study with Dr. Beuttler and UCLA aims to reduce antibiotic misuse and resistance through targeted stewardship, enhancing patient care and lowering healthcare costs

Unexpected Outcome in Pandemic Opioid Challenges

A study found that buprenorphine prescriptions in California remained stable during the pandemic, though there was a decline in new prescribers and an increase in prescription duration, signaling the need for policy changes.

Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s Virtual Walk

Faculty and staff participated in the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s Virtual Walk to raise awareness for patient and health worker safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured key figures like PSMF CEO Dr. Dave Mayer and Joe Kiani, PSMF founder and Chapman University President’s Cabinet member.

Lam to Participate in the FIP Patient Safety Policy Committee

Lam was selected to join the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Patient Safety Policy Committee, which focuses on developing a policy statement on the role of pharmacy in patient safety on an international scale. The committee addresses professional, ethical, and social issues related to patient safety.

Efforts to Promote Safe Handling of Oral Chemotherapy Agents

CUSP students proposed adding a standardized "hazardous drug" symbol to oral chemotherapy prescription labels to the CA State Board of Pharmacy to enhance the safe handling and disposal of these medications. Their initiative seeks to address inconsistencies in current practices and promote public safety through education and advocacy.

Opioid Use Trends in Pediatric Patients in JAMA Network

Opioid prescribing in US Emergency Departments for patients under 18 decreased in recent years, after increasing until 2011. The research highlighted racial disparities, with white patients being 34% more likely to receive opioids than non-white patients, and high prescribing rates for conditions like back pain, headaches, and abdominal pain.

Our Team

Our dedicated research team at Chapman University is composed of experts from various fields, all united by a common goal of advancing patient safety. While some members contribute to multiple sub-teams based on their specific interests, others focus on singular areas of expertise. Together, we collaborate closely with researchers from other esteemed institutions to drive impactful research and innovation.

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Laressa Bethishou, PharmD

Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Director of Professional Education
Expertise: Care Transitions; Readmissions; Med Safety; Med Errors

Lawrence "LB" Brown, PharmD, PhD

Professor, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Pharmacy Programs and Partnerships

Expertise: Medication Therapy Management; Pharmacoeconomics; Consumer Perception of Pharmacists; Survey Research; Large Database Research

Khaled Elsaid, PharmD, PhD

Associate Professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Expertise: Inflammation Pharmacology; Drug Discovery; Arthritis Models; Arthritic Diseases; Innate Immunity

Marc Fleming, PhD

Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
Expertise: Prescription drug misuse, use of prescription drug monitoring programs

Amy Kang, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Infectious Diseases; Antibiotic Resistance; Antibiotic Stewardship; Outcomes Research

Jennifer Ko, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Infectious Diseases; Antibiotic Resistance; Antibiotic Stewardship; Outcomes Research

Jennifer Ko, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Infectious Diseases; Antibiotic Resistance; Antibiotic Stewardship; Outcomes Research

Moom Rossan, PharmD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Pharmacogenomics; Genomics; Bioinformatics; Oncology; Biomedical Informatics; Medication Safety

Enrique Seoane-Vazquez, PhD

Professor of Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy

Expertise: Pharmacoeconomics, healthcare economics, pharmaceutical pricing, health financing

Laressa Bethishou, PharmD

Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Director of Professional Education
Expertise: Care Transitions; Readmissions; Med Safety; Med Errors

Dr. Lawrence "LB" Brown, PharmD, PhD

Professor, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Pharmacy Programs and Partnerships

Expertise: Medication Therapy Management; Pharmacoeconomics; Consumer Perception of Pharmacists; Survey Research; Large Database Research

Dr. Khaled Elsaid, PharmD, PhD

Associate Professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Expertise: Inflammation Pharmacology; Drug Discovery; Arthritis Models; Arthritic Diseases; Innate Immunity

Dr. Marc Fleming, PhD

Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
Expertise: Prescription drug misuse, use of prescription drug monitoring programs

Dr. Jeff Goad, PharmD

Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Travel Medicine; Vaccines or Immunizations; Public Health; Epidemiology

Dr. Jerika Lam, PharmD

Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Infectious Diseases; Antiviral Pharmacotherapy and Resistance; Translational Research; Patient Safety; Medication Adherence

Reza Taheri, PharmD

Senior Associate Dean of Pharmacy Education, Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Leadership Development; Curriculum Design and Development; Strategic Planning; Programmatic Accreditation

Marc Fleming, PhD

Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
Expertise: Prescription drug misuse, use of prescription drug monitoring programs

Karl Hess, PharmD

Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

Expertise: Travel Medicine; Vaccines or Immunizations; Self-Care Therapeutics; Community Pharmacy; Community Pharmacy Practice Innovation

Founding PS-CARE

After almost a decades-long history of focusing teaching, research, and practice on the critical importance of patient safety, Chapman creates a new research center that tackles two of the most critical healthcare issues of our time: preventing medication errors and managing opioid use disorder (OUD).

Chapman Leads Change in Patient Safety

»Patient Safety Center for Research and Education