World Patient Safety Day: WHO Urges Ending Unsafe Medication Practices

In addition to causing significant disability and death, unsafe medication practices and errors cost an estimated USD 42 million around the world annually.

On World Patient Safety Day, WHO on Saturday highlighted the need to prevent avoidable harm in healthcare systems with a focus on ending unsafe medication practices and errors.

In addition to causing significant disability and death, unsafe medication practices and errors cost an estimated USD 42 million around the world annually.

In low- and middle-income countries - including in the WHO South-East Asia Region - patient harm due to unsafe care contributes to an estimated 134 million adverse events annually resulting in around 2.6 million deaths, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said.

Unsafe medication practices and errors can occur at different stages. It can result from weak medication systems or human factors such as fatigue, poor environmental conditions or staff shortages, she said in a statement.