What is the role of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committee in medication safety and quality?

• A. Evaluates new medications, monitors safety data, establishes formularies, and approves safety initiatives.
• B. Manages hospital cafeteria.
• C. Oversees vendor contracts only.
• D. Determines staffing rotations.

Answer: (B)

The P&T committee is responsible for ensuring safe, effective, and appropriate use of medicines within a health system. It reviews new medications for efficacy and safety, monitors ongoing safety data and adverse events, and makes decisions about formulary inclusion to standardize therapy. It also approves safety initiatives and policy changes—such as dosing guidelines, use of high-alert medications, antibiotic stewardship, and drug-use evaluations—to reduce variability and minimize risk. This work directly supports medication safety and quality by aligning clinical practice with current evidence and safety considerations.

The other options describe roles outside of medication safety: managing the hospital cafeteria is about food service; overseeing vendor contracts focuses on procurement; and determining staffing rotations relates to human resources or operations.