WORLD PATIENTS SAFETY DAY: ABIA BASED PHYSICIAN GIVES TIPS ON DRUG ADMINISTRATION
REPORTER: JOHN MADUAGWU
A medical expert, Dr. Gloria Nkwo, wants healthcare workers and patients to play their part in ensuring that medication prescribed, dispensed and taken serve the intended purpose of ensuring good health.
Dr. Nkwo, who is a Consultant Public Health Physician with the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia, made the call while speaking with Radio Nigeria on the 2022 World Patient Safety Day with the theme “Medication Safety” and has the slogan, “Medication without harm.”
She explained that in a bid to prevent or treat illness, every person around the world would at some point take medication, but noted that these medications could sometimes cause serious harm if incorrectly stored, prescribed, dispensed, administered or monitored insufficiently.
She described the theme of this year’s event as apt and listed some of its objectives.
They include raising awareness of the high burden of medication related harm due to medication errors and empowering patients and families to be actively involved in the safe use of medication.
The medical expert enjoined her colleagues to always provide clear medical-related information to patients in the process of delivering care in the hospital, report medication-safety incidents to the appropriate authorities and adhere to safety protocol at all times.
Dr. Nkwo also advised patients to always get all needed information from health workers before taking a prescribed medication, keep an up to date list of all drugs they take, adhere to the prescription recommended by health workers, be aware of potential side effects, check the expiration date on a regular basis and store their medication properly.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
