AHAPN Marks World  Patient Safety Day 2020

pharmacy

-Harps on pharmacists’ roles in patients safety

In commemoration of the World Patient Safety Day, the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria, AHAPN, has outlined the roles of pharmacists in patient safety. The Seventy-second World Health Assembly had adopted Resolution WHA 72.6 ‘Global action on patient safety’ on 25 May 2019. 

The resolution recognises patient safety as a global health priority and endorsed the establishment of World Patient Safety Day, to be observed annually on 17 September. 

The theme for the 2020 World Patient Safety Day is “Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety”.

According to a release signed by the National Chairman of AHAPN, Dr Kingsley Amibor and made available to Pharmanewsonline, all key stakeholders -countries, international, national organisations and healthcare facilities are encouraged to develop national and local campaigns adapted to their context, based on the global campaign.

According to the him: “Clinical pharmacy is a health science discipline in which pharmacists provide patient care that optimises medication therapy and promotes health, wellness and disease prevention. 

“Hospital pharmacy is a specialization of this field where pharmacists collaborate with doctors in aiding drug therapy. Pharmacists play a key role in reducing adverse drug events and improving patient safety during transitions in healthcare.

 “Pharmacists are one of the most accessible healthcare providers, and are the best trained to help patients use their medication.” 

Continuing, he added, “Hospital pharmacists as clinical pharmacists are competent clinicians, excellent communicators, knowledge managers, health educators, leaders and problem solvers. They are also multitaskers, learners, researchers and innovators.”

Enumerating the hazards pharmacists face as biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical and psychological, Amibor  also listed the following as the objectives of the 2020 edition of the event: 

“Raise global awareness about the importance of health workers safety and its interlinkages with patient safety; Engage multiple stakeholders and adopt multimodal strategies to improve the safety of health workers and patients; Implement urgent and sustainable actions by all stakeholders which recognize and invest in the safety of health workers, as a priority for patient safety and provide due recognition of health workers dedication and hard work, particularly amid the current fight against COVID-19”.