The role of technology in medication without harm

With this year’s World Patient Safety Day focused on medication harm, Centred Solutions’ Head of Marketing, Shelley Dyer, looks at what strategies can be adopted to help.

Medication is the biggest intervention used in healthcare and when managed correctly it can do undeniable good. However, medication is also the leading cause of injury or avoidable harm in healthcare systems globally.

It’s no surprise then that the World Health Organisation has selected “Medication Safety” as the theme for this year’s World Patient Safety Day. It is hoped this year’s campaign will shine a spotlight on WHO’s existing Global Patient Safety Challenge – Medication Without Harm. The initiative emphasizes the need to adopt a systems approach and promote safe medication practices to prevent errors and reduce harm. WHO recommends a number of strategies, among them the need to invest in innovation and technology.

Having worked in pharmacy automation now for several years, I’ve written extensively about patient safety with a specific focus on technology and medication errors. During this time it’s been great to see healthcare settings in the UK turning to technology more to address this issue. However, the speed of adoption remains incredibly slow particularly when compared to other markets such as finance, retail and manufacturing.

The critical role played by healthcare organisations of course means they are more risk averse than other sectors. Another key barrier is lack of funding which has been crippling pharmacy and the wider NHS for several years. But risk and cost are something that needs to be weighed against the potential benefits of technology implementation.

There are in fact many small steps that pharmacy can take today to reduce the risk of medication errors by starting their automation journey. There is a range of technology and software out there at the moment that can automate various parts of the pharmacy workflow and provide a much needed safety net in the dispensing process. This is crucial given the well-documented workforce challenges currently facing community pharmacy. It’s inevitable that an over-stretched work force who are continually being asked to do more for less are more likely to make mistakes. We are only human after all.

Imagine if those staff were supported by software that could guide them through the dispensing process in store and alert them to any potential errors. Or imagine if you could centralise your dispensing process with a system that uses RFID and barcode checking technology throughout to scrutinise each part of the dispensing process and proactively flag anything of concern. A centralised process that also reduces pressure the on staff working in store - which of course has its own patient safety benefits. All this technology exists and is readily available to support pharmacy in managing medication safely.

Technology is of course only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to supporting pharmacy to remove the risk of medication harm. Tackling polypharmacy and involving patients and their families for example is equally as important. To do this we need to free up pharmacy time so they can spend more time at the counter and less time at the dispensing bench…..which of course technology can help with too!

As WHO points out we all have a role to play in medication safety. I speak from first hand experience when I say those working in the pharmacy automation industry are committed to working with pharmacy, wider healthcare settings and organisations and patients to achieve a world of medication without harm.