Medication without harm: fostering medication safety in hospitals
13 September 2022 - Online
Overview
In recognition and support of the WHO’s Annual World Patient Safety Day, EHMA and the International Alliance of Patient Organisations (IAPO) have joined forces to host a one-hour webinar to raise awareness of medication safety in hospitals.
World Patient Safety Day, observed annually on 17 September, aims to raise global awareness about patient safety and calls for solidarity and united action by all countries and international partners to reduce harm to patients. ‘Medication Safety’ is the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022 which reaffirms the objectives of the WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm which was launched in 2017 to reduce severe avoidable medication-related harm by 50%.
This special one-hour lunchtime event raised awareness of the benefits of medication safety for all healthcare stakeholders in hospital environments with reference to the four domains highlighted in the WHO’s Global Patient Safety Challenge – 1) patients and the public; 2) health care professionals; 3) medicines; 4) systems and practices of medication within the key action areas of polypharmacy, high-risk situations, and transitions of care.
It discussed the advantages of effective medication management and what strategies and tools are required to reduce medication-related harm in the key action areas of polypharmacy, high-risk situations, and transitions of care, identified by the WHO as part of the Global patient safety challenge within hospital settings.
