October 29, 2013: News Release - Health Canada funding announced for Medication Incident Prevention Program
Toronto, Canada - Health Canada funding to support ISMP Canada’s role in the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System was announced today by Mr. Terence Young, Member of Parliament for Oakville, at a press conference held at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.Medications are an important part of healthcare for many Canadians. Even with the best systems and the best of intentions, mistakes happen. In fact, medication incidents are a leading cause of preventable harm. As many as 1 in 9 emergency department visits are related to adverse drug events, and nearly 70% of those drug-related events are preventable. In one survey, nearly 10% of adult Canadians with health problems reported receiving the wrong medication or the wrong dose of a medication from a pharmacy or hospital.
Problems such as confusing labels and unclear communication can lead to medication incidents. Most incidents are harmless, but some are serious and can have devastating consequences for patients and their families. Consumers are encouraged to visit www.SafeMedicationUse.ca to report medication incidents and to get information on steps they can take to reduce their chances of being harmed by mistakes with medicines.
“We learn something from every report we receive, and we encourage practitioners and consumers to report medication incidents to us”, stated David U, President and CEO of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada). He went on to confirm that “we are very pleased that Health Canada continues to recognize the importance and value of reporting and analyzing medication incidents. This ongoing support allows us to continue to create highly effective safety strategies and to develop training and outreach programs for patients, families, and healthcare providers. Health Canada’s recent 2-year funding announcement reinforces our joint commitment to empower patients to participate in their own safety.”
ISMP Canada works in partnership with Health Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute to implement and expand the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System (CMIRPS). This collaborative program collects and shares information on medication incidents to help ensure that Canadian patients receive the safest healthcare possible. Information gathered through CMIRPS assists Health Canada in its work to improve drug labels, which in turn contributes to Canadians’ understanding of over-the-counter and prescription drugs and their risks.
ISMP Canada also collaborates with many other stakeholders, including provincial organizations and Canadian coroners and medical examiners, to reduce the risk of preventable harm from medications or IV fluids.
Information and insights from all of ISMP Canada’s collaborations are shared through incident learning bulletins and educational programs available across Canada. More information on these can be found at www.ismp-canada.org.
News Release (English version) available at http://www.ismp-canada.org/download/pressrelease/2013-10-29_ISMPC_HCFunding_EN.pdf News Release (French version) available at http://www.ismp-canada.org/download/pressrelease/2013-10-29_ISMPC_HCFunding_FR.pdf
