The Taiwan Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (TAPO) on Sept. 14 held an event to raise greater awareness of patient safety ahead of World Patient Safety Day 2022.

The event consisted of a news conference with representatives of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Taiwan Medical Association, the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations (FTPA), and the Taiwan Healthcare Reform Foundation in attendance, as well as a forum featuring discussions on patient safety in pharmaceutical, surgical and vaccine terms.

According to the WHO, among the avoidable harms in healthcare that occur each year, half are medication errors, costing an estimated US$42 billion globally, TAPO Chairperson Wu Hung-lai said, who called for systematic improvements to reduce medication errors and injuries especially in cases of high-risk medical conditions, patient transfers and polypharmacy.

In relation to increasing medication problems, FTPA President Huang Chin-shun said that patients who are concerned about side-effects should reduce their medication or otherwise avoid medication errors that would lead to longer recovery.

Many with health problems unknowingly visit the doctor to get prescriptions for treating side-effects that were caused by drugs in the first place, the president explained, adding that healthcare providers, the government, and the public needs to attach greater importance to medication without harm, ultimately in order for, among other benefits, patients to recover faster and for society to save on healthcare costs.

[2022-9-14/CNEWS]