JOIN US IN ACHIEVING MEDICATION WITHOUT HARM

Institutional pledge

Recognizing the serious burden of harm and significant economic impact that medication errors and unsafe medication practices create for patients and health systems throughout the world;

Considering that the majority of medication errors and medication-related harm are avoidable;

Building on the momentum created by the WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm and consolidated by the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030 to improve medication safety and reduce medication-related harm at the global level;

Emphasizing that a unique opportunity now exists to significantly reduce medication errors and medication-related harm globally;

I resolve to improve medication safety through actions such as:

Prioritizing and addressing medication safety through allocation of sufficient resources;
Assessing the burden of medication-related harm in our institution;
Developing and implementing a medication safety plan and programme with stakeholders, including patients and the general public, aligned with the components of the WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm and the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030;
Designating a coordinator to oversee the implementation of the Challenge, plan and programme;
Adopting and observing ongoing campaigns such as World Patient Safety Day 2022 and Know. Check. Ask. to promote and improve safe medication practices among health workers, and safe medication use by patients and the general public;
Establishing a patient safety incident reporting and learning system, including medication safety incidents (medication errors and related harm);
Sharing information on medication safety with relevant stakeholders to foster appropriate actions;
Considering the use of WHO strategies and guidelines to tackle medication errors and medication-related harm, with a particular focus on the areas of high-risk situations, transitions of care, and polypharmacy, including a focus on the role of patients and the public, health and care workers, medicines as products, and the systems and practices of medication;
Monitoring progress and evaluating the impact of the plan and programme;
Sharing experiences and annual progress reports, where appropriate, with the WHO Flagship Initiative: A Decade for Patient Safety 2020–2030, through email address: patientsafety@who.int.

We resolve to work with relevant stakeholders, including health workers, patients, industry, regulators, and civil society:

To promote the highest standards of medication management and use, thereby reducing the risks that lead to medication errors and medication-related harm;

To foster and sustain collaboration with academic and research institutions and health care settings in different countries to ensure full utilization of knowledge and experience in the field of medication safety;

To encourage senior management support and role modelling by key staff to promote the implementation of interventions to reduce medication errors and medication-related harm.