About MSATS

The ‘Medication Safety across the System’ (MSATS) series of webinars are interactive sessions aimed at healthcare professionals working in any sector with a role within or passion for medication safety.  Each webinar tackles a different challenging system-wide medication safety issue and shares related innovative practices.  The aim is to inspire and equip others to translate the learning and replicate similar initiatives across systems.

The MSATS network brings together healthcare professionals that consider themselves a Medication Safety Activist (MSA) to support collaborative working and shared learning .

Medication Safety Activists

Medication Safety Activists (MSA) is a term that can be used to describe any healthcare professional or individual with a passion to improve medication safety and takes action to do so.

MSAs may belong to any professional group and work within any care setting.  Anyone could consider themselves to be an MSA, including those that provide a patient voice

Many roles exist where ‘medication safety’ is included within the job description, for example Medication Safety Officers (MSOs). An MSA does not have to have a medication safety role defined within their job description.  An MSA may work only on discreet tasks related to improving medication safety processes or culture within their system.

MSAs may contribute to a diverse range of medication safety initiatives or may have an interest in only one defined medication safety risk/clinical speciality.

Safety spotlight

A defined medication safety challenge is highlighted at each webinar. The spotlight topic is selected from current challenges affecting the whole system where a collaborative step-by-step approach is required to ensure a sustained improvement in safe medication practices.

A focus for each webinar promotes a deeper exploration of the safety issue. Participants are encouraged to then reflect on their local practice and assess the potential impact discussed safety initiatives could have for their system.

Details of previous webinar spotlight topics are on the events section of the SPS website.

System wide

Each webinar includes the sharing of innovative medication safety solutions translatable to any setting and supports a system-wide approach to safety solutions. All examples of safety improvement shared come from successful initiatives within the MSA network

Medicines use is complex and crosses many boundaries of care. Medication safety initiatives require a system wide approach to ensure improvements are sustainable and not isolated practice.

Patient voice

The patient’s perspective, their families and carers and hearing the patient voice is an essential factor in the design and delivery of medication safety initiatives.

Ensuring the patient voice is represented and heard is a core element of each MSATS webinar.

Professional collaboration

All healthcare professionals involved in medicines use need to be engaged in the design and delivery of medication safety initiatives. The MSATS webinars and network encourage all professional groups to participate in discussions and ensure representation of all relevant views related to safety issues, processes and new initiatives.

There are a number of key individuals and professional groups within a system where close working relationships benefit the safety agenda.

Regional MSO networks

Regional MSO networks provide opportunities for shared learning and support across the locality to work together with the implementation of safety initiatives. Medication Safety Activists are encouraged to make contact with their local regional MSO network to share learning and resources where appropriate.

MSATS network

The MSATS network brings together Medication Safety Activists from all care settings and professions to promote collaborative working for the development of system-wide, effective and sustainable medication safety improvement initiatives.

MSATS webinars

Medication Safety Activists are encouraged to actively participate in the MSATS live webinar chat.

MSAs are actively encouraged to present their initiatives at the webinar and should contact SPS Medication Safety Leads to discuss.

MSATS workspace

The Medication Safety Across the System (MSATS) workspace on FutureNHS aims to support the sharing of local experience, safety concerns and initiatives. The workspace discussion platform provides a forum for questions and discussion of medication safety issues. The workspace information repository allows a peer to peer sharing of local resources that have the potential for being replicated or adapted for use in other organisations.

Associated resources

Associated resources to accompany webinars are shared on individual event pages within the events section of the SPS website.

Podcasts

A number of podcasts are available to support the Medication Safety Across the System (MSATS) series.

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