MSSA Hospital, Canadian Version IV Draft 2026-03-30 Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs are related to the process for completing the self-assessment.

How many team meetings should we schedule?

We suggest you schedule a series of 3 meetings of 1-2 hours to complete the self-assessment.

Why do we need an interdisciplinary team to complete the self-assessment?

Because medication use is a complex, interdisciplinary process, the value and accuracy of the self-assessment is significantly reduced if it is completed by a single individual or discipline involved in medication use. Consider including a patient/caregiver representative on the team.

Why do we need senior leadership representation on our team?

Attendance by an individual from the organization’s leadership team is valuable because the assessment contains many items that relate to your organization’s overall commitment to patient safety. Furthermore, participation in the self-assessment provides senior leadership staff with insight into areas of risk in the medication-use system.

May I make copies of the self-assessment document?

The copyright allows you to make copies of the self-assessment for internal use. You may not modify or alter the content in any way. Furthermore, you may not modify, transmit, post, or use the contents of this document for personal, public, or commercial purposes unless you have obtained written permission from ISMP Canada.

My organization has a number of sites. Do I need a password for each one?

If your facility is homogeneous or is managed as a single entity, then it may be appropriate to conduct a single self-assessment across the entire organization. However, if your sites are relatively autonomous and have different procedures and levels of technology, then separate assessments may be appropriate. Completing the self-assessment for individual sites also helps to heighten awareness of vulnerabilities in the medication-use system across the organization.

What if an item doesn’t apply to the services offered in my hospital?

For certain assessment items, a response of “not applicable” is available, with criteria described.

For example, if the item is related to care of pediatric patients and your organization never treats children, this item will not present a risk to the organization or the population served, and will have a “not applicable” scoring option.

Alternatively, use of smart pumps is a recognized safety strategy; if your organization administers intravenous medications without the benefit of smart pumps, the patients served are at higher risk of harm related to incorrect or inappropriate infusion rates, and “not applicable” will not be a scoring option (i.e., “not implemented” would most appropriately reflect that practice).

How can I use our self-assessment results?

Once your data has been entered into the web-based program, there are several ways to examine the compiled information. Note that if you have not completed entering your assessment, you will not be able to view or print your results, or generate graphs comparing your results to the aggregate database.

If you have completed more than one assessment, only your most recent assessment is compared to the aggregate database; however, you can track your hospital's progress from one assessment to the next.

View/print options include:

• Summary of results ("report card" format)
• Graphs comparing your hospital's results to the aggregate database for key elements, core characteristics, and individual assessment items, including available filters based on demographic information submitted (Note: to ensure confidentiality, there must be at least 3 respondents in the aggregate to generate graphs)
• Graphs comparing multiple assessments completed by your hospital

*Note: to ensure confidentiality, there must be at least 3 respondents in the aggregate to generate graphs.

Are there situations where the MSSA-Hospital is not appropriate for an organization?

This MSSA version is intended for acute care hospitals providing general medical and surgical services for both inpatients and outpatients. As such, all assessment items may not be applicable to specialty facilities.

ISMP Canada has developed several MSSA programs and Medication Safety Checklists for hospitals and other care settings. See www.ismp-canada.org/mssa.htm for more information.