World Patient Safety Day 2022 - Know, Check Ask (KCA)

26th, Sep 2022

Every person around the world will, at some point in their life, take medications to prevent or treat illness. However, medications sometimes cause serious harm if incorrectly stored, prescribed, dispensed, administered or if monitored insufficiently.

This year "Medication Safety" has been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022.

Colin Harrison, our Lead Pharmacist at Kingsbridge Private Hospital talks a little more about this: 

"Medicines are the most commonly used medical intervention in NI, and at any one time, around 70% of our population take prescribed or over-the-counter medicines to treat or prevent ill health.

All medication errors are potentially avoidable and the risk of these occurring can therefore be greatly reduced or even prevented.

A medication safety campaign titled Know, Check, Ask (KCA) has been developed to support the World Health Organisation’s Third Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm. The aim of the WHO challenge is to reduce severe avoidable harm by 50% globally over the next five years.

Know Check Ask promotes the use of a three-step approach to help increase awareness of, and educate the public about, the importance of using medication safely. It also supports people to be more involved in decisions about their medication and encourage them to report issues and concerns about their medication and to keep an up-to-date list of their medicines." 

KNOW

Know about each of the medicines you’re taking and how to take them. Ideally keep a “My medicines” list.

CHECK 

Check to make sure you’re using your medicines in the right way.

ASK

Ask your healthcare professional (doctor, pharmacist and/or nurse) if you’re unsure about anything to do with your medicines - how to take them, how often to take them, etc.

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