Basics of

Medication Safety
Welcome and
Introductions

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 Presentation Goals

To raise your awareness of:

how you can help improve patient safety
safe medication use practices
the value of working with your
pharmacist

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Topics
• Overview of medication safety
• Engage in patient safety!
• Keep a current medication list
• Know your medications
• Store and dispose of medications safely
• Report and learn from medication
incidents

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Get warmed up!!

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 Overview of
Medication Safety

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Why is Medication Safety
Important?
Medication incidents can happen

Everyone has a role to play in

preventing harm from medication
incidents

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 Examples of medication
incidents
Yourmedication container from the
pharmacy contains the wrong
medication

You take the same medication twice in

the same day by accident

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You are given too much of a
medication while in hospital

You receive a medication that you

know you are allergic to

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Where can medication
incidents occur?
Atyour doctor’s office when a
medication is prescribed

At your pharmacy

◦ When a prescription is filled
◦ When you select an over the
counter medication

In your home, when you take or use

the medication
Where can medication
incidents occur?
Inthe hospital, when medications
are ordered or prepared by the
pharmacy

At your bedside, when medications

are given/taken
Engage in Patient
Safety!

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 You can help improve
medication safety
Patientsare the best source of information
on the medications they are taking

Be involved in medication safety - there

are lots of ways to do this!

Ask questions!

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 Be involved in patient
safety!
 It’s Safe to Ask!

 S.A.F.E. Toolkit

 S.A.F.E. Patients Blog

 Patient Advocate Form

 Patient Values and Partnerships

www.safetoask.ca 14
 Keep a
Medication List

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 Keep a Current Medication
List
List:
what you are actually taking
how you are taking it
why you are taking it

As a patient, YOU are the best source

of information on the medications you
are taking!

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 Keep a Current Medication
List
List:
regularly used and “as needed”
◦ prescription medications
 pills, ointments, creams, liquids
◦ non-prescription medications
◦ vitamins, herbal, natural products
dosages and strength (eg: 1 x 500 mg
tablet)
how and when you take the medication

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A current medication list
helps:
you learn about your medications
you take your medications correctly
your doctors, nurses and pharmacists
know about your medications
in an emergency

Get a list of current medications when you move

from one setting of care to another
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 Videos:
Intro to Know and Show Your Medic
ation Card

How to fill in and use the Medicatio

n Card 19
Know Your
Medications

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 Know Your Medications

Check name and purpose of

medications when you:
• get a prescription
• fill a prescription
• are given medications

Your community pharmacist can

help you!
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How to Read a Prescription

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At appointments, ask your
doctor or nurse:

1. What is my health problem?

2. What do I need to do?

3. Why do I need to do this?

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In the hospital – 5 “Rights”

Right:
• patient name
• medication name (generic and/or
brand)
• dose (amount)
• time of day to be taken
• route (by mouth, onto skin, etc.)
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 At hospital discharge, ask:

What medications have changed since

I came into hospital?
• Ask:
◦ What medications are:
 continued as before?
 stopped?
 changed?
 new?
◦ Did my dose change? 25
At hospital discharge and
at the pharmacy, ask:

• what is the medication name? (spell it)

• why do I need it?
• I have allergies – will I have a reaction
to this medication?
• when and how should I take it?
• how should I measure a liquid?
• will it interact with other medications I
am taking?
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At hospital discharge and
at the pharmacy, ask:

 what will it do?

 what are the side effects?
 how long should I take it?
 what do I do if I miss a dose?
 does my refill look the same as before?
 are there “extra labels” on the container?
 how do I store it?
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How to Read a Prescription
Label

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Auxiliary Labels

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Auxiliary Labels

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Auxiliary Labels

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Know Your Medications – More TIPS

 Use the same pharmacy

 Ask your pharmacist how to take
medications until you understand
 Ask before you cut, split, crush or open
a pill or capsule
 Take with water, not juice; unless told
other wise by your healthcare provider
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 Know Your Medications –
More TIPS
 If dose is more than 3 pills at once, check
 Do not share your medications
 Give your contact information and an
emergency contact
 Check when medications “expire” (best
before date).

ASK QUESTIONS 33
DOUBLE CHECK!!

Get information on how to take the

medication…
THEN
Tell your pharmacist your
understanding of how to take the
medication

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 Know your
non-prescription medications
Vitamins, herbs, natural health products,
“over the counter” medications

 Tell your doctor and pharmacist what

non-prescription medications you are taking.

A bad interaction with prescription

medication or a medical condition may
cause harm
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Storing and
Disposing of
Medications

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 Store Medications Safely
● Store medications:
◦ securely (e.g. locked cabinet)
◦ in an area free of excess heat, cold and
moisture (some exceptions)
● Leave medications in original labelled
containers
● Do not mix medications in same container

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 Dispose of Medications
Safely
● Returnunused or out of date
medications to your pharmacy

● Ifusing needles to inject

medication, get a biohazard
container from your pharmacy

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Report and Learn
from Medication
Incidents

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 Report and Learn
from Medication Incidents

Inform healthcare providers if you feel a

medication incident has occurred

Reporting incidents helps get to the root

of the problem

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 Reporting Medication
Incidents

● Report:
o Medication incidents to
• your healthcare provider, and
• ISMP Canada online at
www.SafeMedicationUse.ca or toll-
free at 1-866-544-7672
o Report critical incidents to your Regional
Health Authority

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Reporting Adverse Drug
Reactions
Adverse drug reactions are not related
to the healthcare provided
Report adverse drug reactions to the
Canada Vigilance Program
◦ Either by mail, fax, telephone or online
◦ For details see:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/re
port-declaration/index-eng.php#a1

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Summary
and
Evaluation

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Children and Teens

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High Alert Medications

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Seniors

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Travelling with Medications

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