Title & Source: "Medication without harm" - World Health Organization, 2023.
Scope: Global initiative aimed at reducing severe patient harm due to medication errors by 50% as part of the third WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge.
Key Concepts
Adverse Drug Events (ADEs): Injuries resulting from medical interventions related to a drug.
Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs): Unintended, noxious responses to a drug at prescribed doses.
Medication Errors: Preventable events leading to inappropriate medication use or patient harm.
Background
Patient Safety Concerns: Harm due to medicines accounts for nearly 50% of overall preventable harm in medical care.
Global Statistics: Prevalence of preventable medication-related harm is higher in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Strategic Framework: Focuses on policies to eliminate avoidable harm and improve safety of clinical processes.
Errors During Medication Use Process
Prescribing Errors: Occur when the prescriber makes a mistake in ordering medication.
Transcribing Errors: Result from incorrect recording of medication orders.
Dispensing Errors: Deviations from the prescriber's order during distribution of medicines.
Administration Errors: Discrepancies between prescribed directions and how medication is administered.
Monitoring Errors: Failures in assessing patient response to prescribed medication.
Scale of Errors and Contributory Factors
Prevalence: 1 in 20 patients experience preventable medication-related harm.
Risk Factors: Include extremes of age, multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and use of high-risk medications.
High-Risk Medicines: Include anticoagulants, antimicrobials, opioids, etc.
System Weaknesses: Poor healthcare systems, staff training and high workload contribute to errors.
Policy Options to Address Medication Errors
Promote Safety Culture: Encourage systems that prioritize safety over operational goals.
Reporting and Learning Systems: To understand and prevent medication errors effectively.
Key Action Areas: Focus on high-risk situations, polypharmacy, and transitions of care.
Patient and Public Involvement: Educate them for better medication management and reporting.
Health Worker Training: Ensure appropriate training for safe medication practices.
Summary of Evidence and Findings
Medication errors are a leading cause of avoidable harm globally, with severe impacts on patients and healthcare workers.
Adoption of electronic systems and pharmacist-led interventions can reduce errors.
WHO's strategic framework is aimed at member states and institutions to implement systemic changes and improve medication safety.
Call to Action
Pledge to Implement: WHO encourages countries to adopt the Medication Without Harm Challenge by designating coordinators, developing action plans, and engaging stakeholders at all levels for improved medication safety.