An integrated electronic database of patients’ case histories, including their allergies and medications, will help reduce medical errors, a top medic has said.
BDF Hospital emergency care specialist Dr Ghada Al Qassim also emphasised the importance of open lines of communication across the sector to boost patient safety.
The former president of the Bahrain Medical Society made the remarks as countries observe World Patient Safety Day today.
Leaders of the World Health Organisation (WHO) have urged countries to illuminate iconic monuments in orange to commemorate the day, which calls for global solidarity and concerted action to improve patient safety ... a topic that has been designated as a major health priority.
“Medication is the most common modality of treatment and yet, one of the most common forms of preventable harm to patients,” Dr Al Qassim explained.
“It is the responsibility of all parties involved, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and patients, to eliminate this harm.”
She underlined three major ‘barriers’ in the line of communication in healthcare sector and said overcoming them would help reduce harm to patients from wrong medications.
She stressed the need for physicians and nurses to talk to patients and compile a list of their drug allergies and medications.
“This is the first and crucial step in avoiding harm to patients, through allergies or interaction between drugs,” she said.
“Secondly, every pharmacist should check the prescribed drugs for dosage, route and interaction with other medicines, as well as any known allergies.
“Finally, patients also have the responsibility to be aware of the medications they take and declare known allergies.
“To further minimise medication errors, an integrated electronic system has to be implemented to alert healthcare providers about existing risks to patients and prevent the dispensing of harmful drugs to them.”
This year, WHO marks the day on the theme ‘Medication Safety’ under the slogan ‘Medication Without Harm’, with a call to ‘Know, Check and Ask’.
According to international reports, medication harm accounts for 50 per cent of the overall preventable harm in healthcare. It also presents a huge global financial burden, contributing 9pc of total avoidable costs due to suboptimal medicine use, or the equivalent of $42 billion of global total health expenditure.
The GDN reported earlier this year that Bahrain witnessed a 20pc drop in medical error and negligence claims in 2021, compared with the previous years.
The National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) received 213 complaints for investigation in 2021, compared with 271 in 2020 and 257 in 2019.
NHRA chief executive Dr Mariam Al Jalahma attributed the drop to streamlining the system with ‘tough policies and guidelines for health professionals and facilities’.
Meanwhile, WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) director Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari said the pandemic had further exacerbated the risk of medication errors and drug-induced harm.
“Delivering safe care and ensuring patient safety is more complex in emergency contexts, especially in countries in the region that face insecurity, conflict and vulnerability,” he said.
“We need to join hands with key stakeholders and partners to raise global and regional awareness of this urgent public health problem and empower patients and families to be actively engaged in the safe use of medication.”
A recent research conducted in selected EMRO hospitals found that therapeutic and medication errors accounted for 34pc of the total number of adverse events. Data also showed that the highest rates of preventable medication-related harm occur in elderly patient care settings (11pc), followed by intensive care (7pc), highly specialised or surgical care (6pc), and emergency medicine (5pc), and at least 26pc of preventable medication harm is clinically severe or life-threatening.
“I call upon everyone, including governments, non-governmental organisations, civil societies, patient organisations, academia and research institutes, to join the global campaign by lighting up iconic monuments in orange, and organising activities and events on and around the day. Let us all work together to ensure medication without harm,” added Dr Al Mandhari.
raji@gdnmedia.bh
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