CIEHF: Summary of the Medical Packaging & Labelling Meeting 2019

Summary

This was the first Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF) Pharmaceutical Sector group organised event, where the systems and human factors challenges of labelling and packaging were discussed by a wide-ranging audience across the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Content

The attached report summarises the event. Morning presentations included a keynote address from Professor Coleman, University of Birmingham, and a moving and inspiring presentation from Lisa Richards-Everton, a Patient Safety Campaigner. Delegates then participated in a taster workshop looking at challenges around labelling and used the SIEPS 2.0 model to conduct a systems analysis of the management of a patient’s condition. The afternoon branched into parallel syndicate workshops with the first workshop focusing on training and education around labelling; what challenges needed addressing with training, and how a human factors approach could optimally start to address these training issues. 

The second workshop looked to identify and discuss challenges around the medicine label and how these could be addressed using a human factors approach. This included looking at some of the issues that exist with current labelling design, before discussing what information is necessary and then providing recommendations for the design from a human factor’s perspective.  

All syndicate groups gave recommendations for next steps to address these challenges, which were shared at the conclusion of the meeting. Several delegates then volunteered to be involved in a steering team, whose remit would be to address the identified challenges by exploring ways in which these systembased recommendations might be implemented.  

Recommendations around training perspectives included areas such as education and communication; system redesign, use of technology and recommendations about the design of medical packaging with a human factors approach. 

Attachments