Medicines Safety
Medicines are the most widely used intervention in healthcare, and medication errors can occur at any stage of the medicines use process, from prescribing, and supply, through to administration.
Medication errors are associated with patient harm and high cost in both financial and patient terms.
Medicines safety is the effective management of medicines, reducing the risk of error and harm.
At LHCH medicines safety is a key priority with the pharmacy team championing medicines safety and working with other healthcare professionals involved in medicines processes, to ensure safe and appropriate use of medicines in all areas.
Some ways in which we ensure safe medicines use include:
- Counselling patients on safe and effective use of their medicines.
- Reporting, investigating and monitoring any errors to prevent reoccurrence and improve safe medicines use.
- Sharing any learning from medicines errors and using this to develop education and training.
- Monitoring and reporting side effects via Yellow Card | Making medicines and medical devices safer (note patients can also report via the Yellowcard website).
- Using digital technology to streamline medicines processes and reduce risk of errors happening, e.g. use of pharmacy robot to pick medicines, and barcode scanning on wards to help nurses administer medications.
Image from ©Uppsala Monitoring Centre
Reference: PV Cycle | UMC