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EventuntilUnsafe medication practices and medication errors are a leading cause of injury and avoidable harm in health care systems across the world. WHO Patient Safety Flagship has initiated a series of monthly webinars on the topic of “WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm”,. The main objective of the webinar series is support implementation of this WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm at the country level. Considering the huge burden of medication-related harm, Medication Safety has also been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022. Ensuring medication safety in polypharmacy is one of the critical challenges in medication safety. Inappropriate polypharmacy has been described as a significant public health challenge, as it increases the likelihood of adverse effects, considerably impacting health outcomes and expenditure on health care resources. Countries need to prioritize raising awareness of the problems associated with inappropriate polypharmacy and the need to address this issue. All stakeholders have a vital role in driving change for the management of polypharmacy. At this webinar, we will introduce the WHO technical report on “Medication Safety in Polypharmacy”, and experiences from different countries and organizations will be shared on the proper management of polypharmacy and the factors that influence appropriate polypharmacy. The session will be available in English, French and Spanish. Register for the webinar
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Content ArticleThis report by the Access to Medicine Foundation looks at how the pharmaceuticals industry can help tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by improving access to medicines. It sets out how the unstable antibiotic market, with its fragile supply chains and tough market conditions, hinders the development of robust models that would allow medications to be more easily distributed and accessed. It features six case studies where companies and their partners are using a combination of access strategies to cut through the complexity and address access at a local level.
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News Article
High Street pharmacists to make cancer referrals
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People with a worrying cough, problems swallowing or blood in their urine will soon be able to be referred for scans and checks by a pharmacist, rather than having to wait to see their GP. The new pilot scheme, in England, aims to diagnose more cancers early, when there is a better chance of a cure. High Street pharmacies will be funded to refer customers for the checks. The NHS will also send out more "roaming trucks" to perform on-the-spot scans in the community. Lung-scanner vans driven to locations, including supermarket car parks and football stadiums, have already resulted in more people having checks. Now, some liver lorries will join them. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Ensuring patients can access diagnosis and treatment easily in their communities and on High Streets is a fundamental part of our 10-Year Cancer Plan." Dr Anthony Cunliffe, national clinical adviser for primary care, at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "Doctors and nurses are working tirelessly to diagnose and treat the tens of thousands of people entering a very busy cancer care system. "This pilot will give people the opportunity to access more trained professionals in their community to get symptoms investigated." Read full story Source: BBC News, 15 June 2022 -
Content ArticlePharmacy teams may want to develop or implement new services in their organisations to realise quality, safety and operational benefits and financial efficiencies, or to improve the patient experience. The Pharmaceutical Journal highlights eight steps pharmacists should follow to ensure that a business case is as robust as possible.
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EventuntilPatient Academy for Innovation and Research (PAIR Academy) and the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) in partnership with Dakshama Health are launching a series of webinars to introduce the Strategic Framework of the Global Patient Safety Challenge - Medication Without Harm. The 3rd webinar of the medication without harm webinar series is scheduled on 21 May 2022, from 11.30 to 12.30 GMT. The theme is "Understanding the process of Medication Management to reduce medication harm”. Register for the webinar
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Content Article
In this blog Patient Safety Learning considers several key patient safety issues highlighted in a recent investigation by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) into unintentional overdose of morphine sulfate oral solution. We argue that in some areas, further action is required to prevent incidents of avoidable harm recurring. -
News Article
Pharmacies in Wales to help GPs prescribe medicines to patients
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Nearly a third of community pharmacies in Wales should be able to prescribe medicines for NHS patients, including antibiotics, by the end of this year, health officials say. It is the first new service of its kind in the UK. The aim is to take the pressure off GPs at a time of increasing strain on the NHS. Scotland has adopted a similar approach but England and Northern Ireland have not so far. Community pharmacies in Wales are allowed to offer prescriptions of medicines for acute illnesses such as urinary tract and respiratory infections, gout and chronic pain, as well as emergency contraception - if they have a pharmacist who has had extra training for prescribing. For most patients, that will be more convenient and avoid waits for GP appointments. The plan is to roll out the service progressively across Wales, building on local schemes already in place. Local doctors in general practice have welcomed the new policy. Dr Penny Coyle said each week about 25 patients with minor ailments were referred to the pharmacist, saving 100 GP appointments a month and giving doctors more time to visit seriously ill patients in their homes. "We are finding that demand is outweighing capacity and so anything that relieves some of the pressure on general practice is very welcome," she said. Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies chief executive Dr Leyla Hannbeck said: "Pharmacist prescribers can help massively when you think about the shortages and the HRT issues, for example, that we are currently facing - having a pharmacist prescriber being able to prescribe alternative medicines without the patient having to wait to see the GP." Read full story Source: BBC News, 27 April 2022 -
Content ArticleThe Community Pharmacy Patient Safety Group conducted this anonymous survey on patient safety culture in Autumn 2021 and invited pharmacy staff from across the UK to participate. The aim of the survey was to understand patient safety practice from the perspective of frontline pharmacy teams. Both the full results and an infographic of key results are available to download.
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News Article
Pharmacists in England face abuse from patients due to drug shortages
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Pharmacy staff in England are facing growing abuse and aggression from patients frustrated that drug shortages mean they cannot get their usual medications, a survey reveals. The hostility, including swearing and spitting, comes as availability of medicines is becoming more uncertain as a result of Brexit, the Covid pandemic and ingredient supply problems. Hormone replacement therapy drugs are in short supply in many places, affecting women undergoing menopause, for example. Half of pharmacists and counter staff say the unpredictability is causing problems for customers managing their health, according to research by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC), which represents community pharmacies in England. The PSNC’s survey of 1,132 staff from and 418 bosses of 5,000 pharmacies found: 75% of pharmacies have seen patients turn aggressive when told they cannot have the medication they have been prescribed. 49% of staff say patient abuse is undermining their mental wellbeing. 51% believe supply chain issues affect patients every day. “It is really worrying to hear that pharmacy staff are so routinely facing aggression from patients,” said Janet Morrison, the PSNC’s chief executive. “Pharmacists tell us anecdotally that this can include verbal abuse, swearing, spitting and threatening to report staff to regulators. “Many community pharmacies are having to deal with medicine supply issues on a daily basis. This adds pressures on to already busy pharmacy teams and can also be worrying for patients if they have to wait longer for the medicines that they need.” Patients were left “frustrated and inconvenienced” by drug shortages, she added. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 25 April 2022 -
Content ArticleMedication safety events with the potential for patient harm do occur in healthcare settings. Pharmacists are regularly tasked with utilizing their medication knowledge to optimize the medication-use process and reduce the likelihood of error. To prepare for these responsibilities in professional practice, it is important to introduce patient safety principles during educational experiences. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) have set forth accreditation standards focused on the management of medication-use processes to ensure these competencies during pharmacy didactic learning and postgraduate training. The experience described here provides perspective on educational and experiential opportunities across the continuum of pharmacy education, with a focus on a relationship between a college of pharmacy and healthcare system. Various activities, including discussions, medication event reviews, audits, and continuous quality improvement efforts, have provided the experiences to achieve standards for these pharmacy learners. These activities support a culture of safety from early training.
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Content Article
Chilean Journal of Patient Safety
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in International patient safety
The official voice of the Foundation for Patient Safety - CHILE, to spread knowledge and share advances in clinical practices, which allow us to provide safe and quality care, in all areas of health care, from high complexity to home care. Download the latest issue below. (In Spanish, but option to translate to English when you download.) -
Content ArticleThis report by Save the Children's Global Medical Team (GMT) shares the results of independent audits conducted in 2021. The audits aimed to assess the safety and quality of clinical and pharmacy services delivered by the organisation across seven countries. The team strategically focused on higher-risk programmes where Save the Children staff deliver services directly, with an aim to ensure that services remain safe and fully assured.
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Content Article
This is part of our new series of Patient Safety Spotlight interviews, where we talk to people about their role and what motivates them to make health and social care safer. Roohil talks to us about the vital role of pharmacists in making sure medications help patients, rather than causing harm. She highlights the global threat of substandard and counterfeit medicines, the need to improve access to medicines and the importance of having pharmacists 'on the ground' to help patients understand how to take them. -
Content Article
Belfast Healthy Cities: Pharmacy Schools Programme (2021)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Medication
The Pharmacy Schools Programme is an innovative teaching resource developed by Belfast Healthy Cities. Using a health literacy approach, it is designed to be used in primary schools in Northern Ireland to help educate children about self-care, medication safety and community pharmacy services. -
Content ArticleAs the global population ages, more people are likely to suffer from multiple long term illnesses and therefore take multiple medications. This report by the World Health Organization highlights the importance of leadership in nurturing a culture that prioritises safe, high-quality prescribing, provides guidance on medication review, and emphasises the role of the patient in prescribing decisions. It also examines the role of multi-professional teams across the healthcare system, including amongst policy makers. The report includes tools and case studies which illustrate a systematic approach that can be followed across the health and care system to ensure that patients are integral to the decisions about their medications.
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Content ArticlePersistent Covid-19 illness following an acute infection with SARS-CoV-2 can have both a physical and psychological impact. Pharmacists in community and primary care should be able to provide patients with appropriate advice and support to manage their symptoms.
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EventThis event from the Saudi Patient Safety Center will: Define polypharmacy and the risk factors related to it. Illustrate the importance of medication reconciliation process and its implementation strategies. Recognise physicians, pharmacists and nurses’ role in this process. Register
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Content ArticleThis qualitative study in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy examined how staff working in UK community pharmacy during the first waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 responded and adapted to new pressures on their services to maintain patient safety. From responses gathered from 23 community pharmacy staff in England and Scotland, the authors identified five themes: Covid-19, an impending threat to system Patient safety stressors during the first waves of Covid-19 Altering the system, responding to system stressors Monitoring and adjusting Learning for the future. They found that pharmacy staff responded and adapted to the evolving situation, monitoring the success of measures and protocols adopted in response to the pressures of the pandemic.
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Content ArticleThe purpose of these standards is to create and maintain the right environment, both organisational and physical, for the safe and effective practice of pharmacy. The standards apply to all pharmacies registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
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News Article
Overprescribing of medicines must stop, says government
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Many patients are being prescribed unnecessary and even harmful treatments, a new report warns. The review, in England, suggests one-tenth of items dispensed by primary care are inappropriate or could be changed. Around 15% of people take five or more medicines a day - some are to deal with the side-effects of the others. The government is appointing a prescribing tsar to help with the issue and stop waste. Overprescribing can happen when: a better alternative is available but not given the medicine is appropriate for a condition but not the individual patient a condition changes and the medicine is no longer appropriate the patient no longer needs the medicine but continues to be prescribed it. Chief pharmaceutical officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge, said: "Medicines do people a lot of good and this report is absolutely not about taking treatment or services away from people where they are effective. But medicines can also cause harm and can be wasted." Read full story Source: BBC News, 22 September 2021 -
Content ArticleThe government commissioned Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, to lead a review into the use of medication and overprescribing.
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Content ArticlePharmacovigilance is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other medicine/vaccine related problem. This article, published in the journal Drug Safety, outlines how the Egypt Chapter of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) approached raising awareness of the importance of pharmacovigilance and reporting adverse drug reactions during MedSafetyWeek 2020.
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News Article
NHS pharmacies to offer blood pressure checks to tackle heart problems
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
In an effort to tackle heart problems, a new NHS scheme will be rolled out in pharmacies where patients over 40 will be able to have their blood pressure checked. The scheme, set to begin checks from October in some 11,300 pharmacies across England, will also give patients clinical and lifestyle advice or referred to treatment where necessary when getting their blood pressure checked. Helen Williams, national speciality adviser for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: “As a pharmacist, I am delighted that this service is being rolled out across England. Community pharmacies are ideally placed to deliver blood pressure checks, being accessible within local communities and regularly used by most adults. This service will enable people with high blood pressure to be identified and treated early and will encourage conversations about lifestyle change to help people live healthy lives for longer.” Read full story. Source: The Independent, 24 August 2021 -
Content ArticleThis research focused on the Clinical pharmacist (CP) interventions from the PROTECTED-UK cohort. Data was collected from 21 adult critical care units over 14 days and interventions were catergorised as an error, optimisation or consults, with pharmacy service demographics also being collected by investigator survey.
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Content ArticleThe present research conducted a prospective observational study in 21 UK critical care units (CCU's) from 5-18 November 2012 with the aim to describe clinical pharmacist interventions. Data was collected via a web portal where specialist critical care pharmacists could make their reports, with each intervention classified as medication error, optimization or consult. A total of 20, 517 prescriptions were reviewed with 3294 interventions recorded during the weekdays. Results demonstrated that both medication error resolution and pharmacist-led optimisation rates were substantial.
