MSATS event: medication safety inequalities

Event 27 September 2023Location Online via WebEx at 12:30 - 14:00

Discussion of key current medication safety challenges within healthcare with a focus on medication inequalities; inspiring partnership across the system.

Date

27 September 2023

Location

Online via WebEx at 12:30 - 14:00

About the event

This interactive session forms part of the ‘Medication Safety Across the System’ (MSATS) series aimed at healthcare professionals, working in any sector with a role or passion for medication safety and/or involved in medicines use. Speakers shared Innovative practices addressing medicines safety inequalities to inspire and equip translation and replication across systems.

Why it’s important

Users of medicines may be exposed to a greater risk of harm due to individual characteristics and societal factors. This creates inequitable experience and healthcare outcomes. Medication safety practice and associated improvements must consider healthcare inequalities to ensure equitable safe use of medicines for all.

What was covered

  1. A discussion of the impact that healthcare inequalities have on medication safety and potential for preventable harm. The importance of creating an equitable service to support safe use of medicines across the system was explored.
  2. Identification and management of medication safety challenges created by healthcare inequalities.
  3. A ‘Lived experience’ was shared to understand the impact for individuals where inequalities has affected care.
  4. Shared exemplar practices where healthcare inequalities was considered when implementing medication safety improvements, promoting reflection on local practice and consideration for implementation at a local and system level

Learning Outcomes

  1. Articulate key current challenges related to medication safety inequalities
  2. Use information shared regarding known harms related to medication safety inequalities to assess local working practices at both an organisational level and across the system
  3. Reflect on examples shared and identify actions or responses to recommend locally, in order to improve safe practice
  4. Take opportunities to network with peers to inform the development of appropriate local and system wide responses to mediation safety inequalities

Speakers

A range of speakers from SPS and other organisations helped to run this event.

Non-SPS speakers

Dr Aoife Molloy

Senior Clinical Advisor Healthcare Inequalities Improvement, NHS England (Keynote)

Dr Anna Robinson-Barella

Researcher in Medicines Inequalities and Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University

Rakhi Aggarwal

Senior Prescribing Advisor, Medicines Management and Optimisation, NHS Birmingham and Solihull

Romesh Rana

Senior Prescribing Advisor, Medicines Management and Optimisation, NHS Birmingham and Solihull

Dave Gerrard

Health Improvement Pharmacy lead – Learning Disability and Autism, NHS England

SPS Speakers

Learn more about the SPS team who ran this event.

Resources

Recordings

Webinar recording

The recording of the webinar can be viewed below. Please note that information presented during this webinar is correct at time of recording. Current guidance should be followed.

Reasonable adjustments

Emma Kirk and Barry Jubraj explore the principles of reasonable adjustments and how they can be used to improve the safe use of medicines, by those impacted by medication safety inequalities.

Podcast

Anna Bischler and Jay Patel discuss the impact of language barriers on medication safety inequalities.

Presentation resources

Slides from the webinar are now available below.

Additional resources

System Safety Update – Medication Safety Inequalities

A resource collating the latest medication safety communications and publications with a special focus on medication safety inequalities. Intended to inform, support and inspire medication safety improvements.

Contact us

Please contact the Admin Team if you have any questions.