World Patient Safety Day 2022: Medication without harm

Overview

The World Patient Safety Day is a global campaign to improve patient safety, celebrated each year on 17^th September. Recognizing patient safety as a global health priority, all 194 WHO Member States at The 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019 endorsed the establishment of World Patient Safety Day (Resolution WHA72.6), to be marked annually on 17 September.

Objective

The campaign aims to mobilize patients, health workers, health leaders, policy-makers, academics, researchers, professional networks, the private sector and health care industry to speak up for health worker safety to improve the safety of health care, and reduce the risk of harm, both to health workers and patients.

The objectives of World Patient Safety Day are to increase public awareness and engagement, enhance global understanding, and spur global solidarity and action to promote patient safety.

World Patient Safety Day 2022: Medication without harm

This year the theme of world patient safety day is related to Medication Safety. As medications are the most widely utilized interventions in health care, and medication-related harm constitutes the greatest proportion of the total preventable harm due to unsafe care, let alone the economic and psychological burden imposed by such harm. Acknowledging this substantial burden and recognizing the complexity of medication-related harm prevention and reduction, “Medication Safety” has been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022.

Facts

• Medication harm accounts for 50% of the overall preventable harm in medical care.
• US$ 42 billion of global total health expenditure worldwide can be avoided if medication errors are prevented.

Key Messages

Policy-makers and programme managers

• Ensure medication safety is addressed at all levels and in all settings in the health care system
• Assess the burden of medication-related harm in your country
• Integrate medication safety into every stage of patient care
• Co-design and implement medication safety programmes with stakeholders, including patients and public
• Establish a patient safety incident reporting and learning system, including medication safety incidents (medication errors and related harm)
• Monitor progress and evaluate the impact of medication safety programmes
• Launch Know. Check. Ask. as the medication safety campaign across the country.

Health care leaders and facility managers

• Designate a focal point and a multidisciplinary team to develop processes to ensure medication safety in your facility
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures for safe medication use, taking into account the risk of human error
• Make sure there are sufficient staff to cover patients’ medication needs
• Provide opportunities to train health workers on safe medication use
• Operationalize a patient safety incident reporting and learning system, including medication safety incidents (medication errors and related harm)
• Create a safety culture where health workers are able to raise safety concerns related to medications
• Prioritize action in areas where most medication-related harm occurs, such as high-risk situations, transitions of care and polypharmacy
• Put in place strategies to reduce the risk of medication errors, such as double-checking, patient engagement and using information technology to improve processes.

Health workers

• Keep your skills in safe medication practices up to date
• Engage patients through shared decision-making using tools such as the 5 Moments for Medication Safety and implement actions related to the Know. Check. Ask. campaign
• Provide clear and full medication-related information to all members of the clinical team throughout the process of care
• Report medication safety incidents, and share and apply lessons learned with your team and patients when possible
• Be mindful of situations where risk from medications is high and ensure safety measures are followed
• Mentor new members of your team on safe medication systems and practices.

Patients, families and general public

• When prescribed a medication, check with your health worker that you have all the information you need to take it safely. Follow the Know. Check. Ask. actions
• Keep an up-to-date list of all the medications you take, including traditional medicines, and share it with your treating health workers
• Take your medications as recommended by your health worker
• Use the 5 Moments for Medication Safety tool to keep you safe while taking your medications
• Be aware of the potential side-effects of your medications
• Store your medications as indicated and check the expiration date regularly
• Raise any concerns about your medication with your health worker.

Source of Info: World Health Organization

Related readings

• World Patient Safety Day
• World Patient Safety Day 2021 : Act now for safe and respectful childbirth!
• Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030
• World Patient Safety Day: Speak up for health worker safety!
• World Patient Safety Day: Speak up for patient safety!
• Global Patients Congress 2020 Call To Action
• WHO calls for urgent action to reduce patient harm in healthcare
• Six principles to ensure AI works for the public interest in all countries