Medication Safety in Contemporary Healthcare Systems

Abstract

This study employed a three-time cross-sectional investigation whereby data was gathered from staff members in retail pharmacies. Also, a qualitative content analysis technique aided in establishing themes about the participants’ perceptions, as well as their suggestions regarding some of the improvement mechanisms that could be employed to yield better outcomes in the pharmacy industry. In the results, the study established that most of the pharmacists exhibited a positive attitude towards patient safety culture as a health care dimension. However, most of the participants held a less favorable attitude relative to the role of hospital managers as those supporting patient safety. Some of the improvement strategies that were suggested included the need for committed management, improved feedback, teamwork and collaboration, and increased staffing. The implication for the pharmacy industry is that all the personnel charged with pharmaceutical service provision ought to be charged with patient safety and that organizational fatigue needs to be addressed through actions such as teamwork and collaboration, as well as increased staffing.