The third global patient safety challenge: tackling medication-related harm

Abstract

Editorials Editorials 546ABull World Health Organ 2017;95:546-546A | doi: http://dx

Shared Decision Making and the Importance of Time

“…9 Cuts to services and siloed solutions have failed to address this problem, which has been ignored for too long, or considered 'somebody else's' responsibility. Such is the magnitude of medication-related harm, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced their intent to tackle the problem as their third global patient safety challenge, 10 tasking healthcare professionals to focus particularly on those patients who are at higher risk of death or serious illness because of medication-related harm. The three flagship areas identified for priority are high-risk situations, polypharmacy and transitions of care.…”

“…It is precisely in this maelstrom of medicines and medical issues during an acute care admission that hospital pharmacists can lead the stewardship of QUM and advocate for best care across transitions. The WHO acknowledges the challenge this presents to healthcare leaders and politicians alike: 10 The context in which medication-related harm occurs across a range of care settings needs to be clearly understood. Implementing measures to reduce this harm will need to include educating and empowering patients and carers; developing tools to assist frontline health-care professionals; and engineering new systems of care to create resilience against the factors that predispose to the risk of medication errors.…”

Medicines‐related harm in the elderly post‐hospital discharge

“…1 MRH has recently been announced as the third global patient safety challenge by the World Health Organization (WHO). 2 Medicines are the most common form of health intervention used today. 3 However, medicines can cause harm if they are not taken correctly, are insufficiently monitored, or as a result of errors.…”

Hospitalisation for medication misadventures among older adults with and without dementia: A 5‐year retrospective study

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) third global patient safety challenge is to reduce the global burden of medication‐related harm . Medication misadventures, which include adverse drug events, adverse drug reactions and medication errors, can occur at any time during the different stages of medication use (eg prescribing, dispensing, administering, monitoring) .…”