Staff at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise have been raising awareness about medication safety to mark World Patient Safety Day which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, September 17.
As part of this, patients are being encouraged to ask their pharmacist, doctor or nurse if they have any questions about their medications.
To remind local people in Portlaoise of this important message the hospital has just launched the ‘Know Check Ask’ medication safety campaign, on the screens in the outpatient department.
Patients are also being encouraged to download a My Medicines list by clicking on this link …. https://bit.ly/3RQGggS. The form can then be filled in so that patients have their personal medicine list, to aid communication at hospital appointments and admissions.
As part of the medication safety awareness initiative at MRHP, a special lecture was also held for staff during which presentations were made by Olivia Lafferty Quality Risk & Patient Safety Manager, Margaret Rice Clinical Skills Facilitator, and Caitriona Gowing, Chief Pharmacist.
An awareness stand was also set up in the hospital and staff were invited to take part in a special medication quiz with spot prizes for the winners.
Olivia Lafferty Quality Risk & Patient Safety Manager at MRHP said that: “The Know, Check, Ask campaign encourages and empowers patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals to take an active role in ensuring safer medicine practices and medication use processes including prescription, preparation, dispensing, administration and monitoring.
“Using the right medication at the right time in the correct way is in everyone’s best interest.”
Michael Knowles General Manager at MRHP says: “Medication safety is one of the priority safety programmes within Portlaoise Hospital. Introducing the ‘Know,Check, Ask’ Campaign to our healthcare professionals, patients and their families demonstrates our commitment to implementing best practices and quality improvement initiatives that provide for a supportive environment for safe, high-quality care.
“I would like to acknowledge the work of our Quality Risk and Patient Safety team and all staff for their support in raising awareness of this important initiative.
“The WHO says that medication harm accounts for 50% of the overall preventable harm in medical care (WHO, 2022). We know that at least half of medication-related harm is potentially preventable.”
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