High Risk Medicines
Why focus on this?
Reducing harm due to high risk medicines has been identified as a priority by health boards across Scotland. High risk medicines are defined as medicines that have a high risk of causing injury or harm if they are misused or used in error. Error rates with these medications are not necessarily higher than with any other medicines, but when problems occur, the consequences can be more significant. (American Pharmacists Association, Medication Errors. 2nd ed 2007, Washington DC, American Pharmacists Association.)
How we support the prevention of harm?
NSAIDS toolkit for community pharmacy- This includes a safer care bundle for pharmacists to help them with their clinical decision making. It also includes a communications bundle for all pharmacy staff, to support safer NSAIDs conversations with patients.
NSAIDS toolkit for dispensing GPs- to support your dispensary teams to consistently deliver the key safety messages and improve the safety of NSAIDs for patients.
Medicines sick day rule cards- to support conversations between healthcare professionals and patients about their medicines and dehydration.
High risk medicines discussion framework- to support local teams to discuss and prioritise improvement activities related to high risk medicines.
High risk medicines framework- a tool to support teams discuss and plan improvements related to local high risk medicines priorities.
Stay in touch
Follow us on twitter @SPSPMedicines
Email us his.pcpteam@nhs.scot