Northern Health is proud to partner with organizations across the country to celebrate and raise awareness around patient safety during the last week of October. Canadian Patient Safety Week 2018 runs from October 29 to November 2.
Canadian Patient Safety Week is a national campaign that works to raise awareness of patient safety. This year’s theme is “Not All Meds Get Along,” which prompts patients and health-care professionals to consider medication reviews (a discussion/assessment of a patient's complete set of medications) for anyone on five or more medications who may be at risk. Medication errors can result in severe harm, disability, and even death.
Everyone has a role to play in medication safety. “Not All Meds Get Along” encourages patients and health-care professionals to start a conversation using the 5 Questions to Ask About Your Medications when talking about medication safety issues. Patients should keep medication records up to date. Remember to include drug allergies, vitamins and minerals, herbal/natural products, and all medications including non-prescription products. Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to review all your medications to see if any can be safely stopped or reduced.
Take the Medication Safety quiz to test your knowledge at www.asklistentalk.ca.
Find out more about medication safety and Canadian Patient Safety Week at www.asklistentalk.ca
We look forward to celebrating Canadian Patient Safety Week with all our staff and patients.