PHARMACIST peak bodies are marking World Patient Safety Day by highlighting initiatives around medicines safety for adolescents and children, as part of this year's theme of 'Safe care for every newborn and child'.
Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has launched its fourth annual World Patient Safety Day series authored by its Medication Safety Leadership Committee.
The series covers issues such as oral liquid dosing; off-label prescribing; risks across preconception; pregnancy and breastfeeding; the importance of double-checking; and lived experiences that highlight the value of consumer involvement and research in paediatric care.
Toni Howell, AdPha Medication Safety Leadership Committee Chair, said every newborn and child deserves a healthy start to life.
"As clinicians, we must think about the risk of medication harm in our smallest patients - even when they are just a 'twinkle' - because preventable errors in medicines use can leave permanent scars.
"On World Patient Safety Day, we commit to patient safety from the start because newborns and young children are more susceptible to harm if care isn't specifically adapted to their age, size, health condition and context.
"This series highlights the important role pharmacists and pharmacy technicians play in safe paediatric care."
The series is available HERE.
AdPha has also highlighted its 'Don't Rush to Crush' guide to safely administering oral medicines, an essential for vulnerable patients, including children - see HERE.
Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is urging all Australians to reflect on the importance of keeping children and adolescents safe from medicine-related harm.
PSA National President, Associate Professor Fei Sim, said medicine safety in children must remain front of mind for all health professionals, caregivers and policymakers, adding it is "not just a theme, but a responsibility we all share".
"World Patient Safety Day is a reminder that safe care begins at birth and continues throughout childhood," Assoc Prof Sim said.
"Every medicine prescribed, dispensed, or administered to a child is an opportunity to prevent harm and protect health."
She noted that pharmacists see first-hand the risks children face - from accidental poisoning to dosing errors, and highlighted the PSA's report Medicine Safety: Child and Adolescent Care (PD 31 Jan).
"By working together with parents, carers and the broader health system, we can make a real difference in reducing preventable harm," she concluded.
World Patient Safety Day is a World Health Organization initiative, and this year's theme of 'Safe care for every newborn and every child', with the slogan "Patient safety from the start!", recognises the vulnerability of this age group to risks and harm caused by unsafe care. KB
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