Doha: Qatar University College of Pharmacy, Al Wakra Hospital and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) held the first symposium on medication safety at Sharq Hotel & Spa under the theme ‘It’s everyone’s concern’.
It aimed to promote inter-professional collaborative care and gather input from pharmacists, physicians, nurses and administrators to cover the full spectrum of patient care.
The one-day event was held in partnership with International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology GCC Chapter and brought together over 150 clinically-oriented pharmacists, healthcare providers, researchers, academia and students from health-related disciplines.
Guest speakers from the college, HMC and King Saud University covered medication safety policy, adverse event reporting, assessing medication quality and the pharmacist’s role in research.
Research, practice and direct patient care at Al Wakra Hospital were also discussed.
Dr Ayman El Kadi (pictured), Dean of the college, said: “The symposium showcases the importance of medication safety and the pharmacist’s role.
“Its discussions and recommendations will serve to raise the standard of practice in Qatar as the country moves towards fulfilling the National Health Strategy 2011-2016 with a skilled workforce, effective services and a world-class healthcare system.”
Dr Rasha Al Anany, Pharmacy Director, Al Wakra Hospital, said, “The symposium is an opportunity for healthcare providers, researchers and aspiring pharmacists in Qatar to engage in discussions on medication safety to stimulate enhanced health outcomes.
“It consolidates HMC’s commitment to provide the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to each of our patients as delegates will have the chance to identify the best medication safety strategies and learn innovative ways of ensuring safe use of medication.”
Medication safety is a key area of research being conducted by the college. A two-year project by faculty members Dr Kerry Wilbur and Dr Ahmed Awaisu is exploring medication errors at HMC practice sites in an NPRP-funded study in collaboration with HMC and Robert Gordon University, the UK, to improve prescription safety and attendant systems.
Dr Awaisu and Dr Mohamed Ibrahim, Professor of Social and Administrative Pharmacy at the college, are collaborating with HMC’s Pharmacy Department research team as part of a memorandum of understanding signed in 2013 by QU and HMC to find solutions to healthcare issues.
“We want to understand how the current system on adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting operates, health professionals’ beliefs and behaviours in prescribing and dispensing medication, and key barriers of reporting and documenting ADR”, said Dr Moza Sulaiman Al Hail, Executive Director, Pharmacy, HMC.
The Peninsula
