Webinar World Patient Safety Day: Medication safety challenges from a quality-of-care

Date: 
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Time: 
12:00 p.m. (EDT)
Description: 

Unsafe medication practices and medication errors are among the leading causes of preventable harm in health care worldwide. Medication errors occur when deficiencies in medication systems and various human factors, such as fatigue, poor environmental conditions, or staff shortages, affect the safety of the medication use process. This can cause serious patient damage, disability, and even death. The current COVID-19 pandemic has significantly exacerbated the risk of medication errors and related harm. In this context, "Medication safety" has been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022, with the slogan "Medication without harm."

Register: https://bit.ly/3eglLLK

Objective(s) of the meeting: 

The webinar will take place in the context of World Patient Safety Day and within the framework of the Strategy and Plan of Action to improve quality of care in health service delivery 2020-2025. For this, we will have country experiences, addressing the challenges in implementing a national policy and planning to improve quality, with particular attention to patient safety; and to advance better understanding and collaboration to improve quality and safety. We will also offer from a regional perspective the impact of the use of medicines without evidence during the pandemic, as well as an excellent example of interventions that require institutionalization to improve the safety of medications: the Programs for the Optimization of the use of Antibiotics (PROA), central among initiatives to combat antimicrobial resistance. We will end with an update and discussion of resources available to strengthen collaboration on quality and safety improvement projects.

Brief synthesis of the topics: 
  • Medication safety challenges from a quality-of-care perspective.
  • The challenges of transforming the organizational culture towards patient safety from public policies.
  • Argentine Patient Safety Observatory APSO: foundations and projection.
  • Messages on World Patient Safety Day 2022 from some initiatives and collaborators in the Region.
  • Adverse events associated with drugs used without evidence during COVID-19.
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs: (ASP): impact on the quality of care and patient safety.
  • The challenge of navigating the available resources in quality and patient safety. The WHO Quality Toolkit initiative.  
Speakers. Brief summary of the curriculum: 
  • Dr. Ernesto Báscolo. Unit Chief a.i. Health Services and Access. PAHO/WHO
  • Dra. Nathalia Meza, Directora. National Quality Director, General Directorate of the Cabinet, Ministry of Health of Paraguay
  • Dra. Viviana Rodríguez. Founding member of the APSO.
  • Mr. Robin Rojas Cortes. Technical Officer in the Safe Use of Medicines, Vaccines, and Biologicals. PAHO/WHO
  • Dra. Pilar Ramon-Pardo, Team Leader, Special Antimicrobial Resistance Program. PAHO/WHO
  • Dra. Paola Lichtenberger, PAHO/WHO International Consultant
  • Dr. Shams B. Syed, Unit Head, Quality of Care, WHO
  • Dr. Ruben Frescas, WHO International Consultant
  • Dr. Jonás Gonseth García. Advisor, Quality in Health Systems and Services, PAHO/WHO
Keywords: 
EPHF, Health Systems, Universal Health