Common Declaration. Patient Safety: Saving 200,000 lives a year in Europe (11 December 2019)

Summary

On 11 December, Nuno Melo (MEP) – a Portuguese Member of the European Parliament – gathered European experts together to discuss how to improve medication adherence and increase the quality of life and safety of patients, especially those suffering from chronic diseases.

Delivering a speech at the event Dr. Neelam Dhinga, co-ordinator for the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Unit, in the Service Delivery and Safety Department at the World Health Organization, highlighted that the patient safety agenda in Europe should be a priority. She called for the European institutions and stakeholders to take urgent action to save patients’ lives.

The panel discussion in the European Parliament recognised the importance of improving therapeutic adherence and avoiding medication errors to increasing the efficiency of healthcare systems across the European Union and improve patients’ safety.

MEP Nuno Melo closed the event with a statement that all decision-makers need to take into consideration the results and best practices presented on the day, acknowledge that there is a therapeutic adherence gap, open a dialogue with the relevant actors involved in the process to offer dose dispensing a clear regulatory pathway across Europe.

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