Founded in 1990, the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) is a Washington DC-based healthcare accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the entire healthcare industry. It is an independent, non-profit organization that has no ties to a specific industry interest group, is not a member organization or political advocacy group, and has no potential conflicts of interest. This makes URAC a leader in promoting healthcare quality.
What is URAC accreditation?
According to URAC, accreditation is defined as an “evaluative, rigorous, transparent, and comprehensive process in which a healthcare organization undergoes an examination of its systems, processes, and performance by an impartial external organization to ensure that it is conducting business in a manner that meets predetermined criteria and is consistent with national standards.” URAC accredits many types of healthcare entities based on their function, a few examples are pharmacies, hospitals and provider groups.
Why are organizations like URAC and the accreditations they give important?
The high standards set by URAC keep pace with the rapid changes in the healthcare system and provide a mark of distinction for healthcare organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability. URAC works to ensure that the future of healthcare controls costs, raises quality, and improves overall health outcomes.
At Express Pharmacy, we wanted to achieve URAC accreditation to demonstrate our relentless devotion to clinical excellence as more than just a mission statement, but a promise we make to our patients and healthcare providers. We are excited to announce that our Express Pharmacy on Brimhall in Bakersfield, California have received the prestigious URAC accreditation in specialty pharmacy in Aug 2019. At Express Pharmacy, we are committed to quality throughout all of our facilities, including those that service patients and physicians in local communities as well as our national specialty pharmacy and mail order programs.