What is medicines safety?When medicines are not taken or used properly, it can lead to poor and worsening health and wellbeing. It’s a sad fact that medication harm accounts for 50% of the overall preventable harm in medical care.
Everyone involved in a patient's healthcare, including community and hospital pharmacists, GPs, nurses and hospital doctors are encouraged to listen to their patients to better understand their needs and any concerns, and to help overcome problems when using medicines.
The flip side of this is that patients are also encouraged to become the experts in their own medication. By asking questions and raising any concerns, patients will have the reassurance and guidance they need to use their medicines as agreed to get the best possible outcomes and reduce the risk of harm.
Adrenaline Auto-Injectors (AAIs) are sometimes referred to by their product name, for example EpiPen® or Jext®. They are automatic injection devices for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening severe allergic reaction.
The AAI safety campaign video below has been produced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to spread awareness of anaphylaxis and help protect and improve patient health.
The video lists the signs of anaphylaxis and explains that you should use your AAI immediately if you have any of these signs. You should then call 999 straight away saying “anaphylaxis”. The latest guidance to follow once you have used an AAI and are waiting for help to arrive is also covered.
Anticholinergic medicines include:
There are possible side effects of taking these medicines. If you are already taking an anticholinergic medicine to help your symptoms or your doctor, nurse or pharmacist has suggested that you start taking one, the anticholinergic medicines information on this page will help you decide if this is the best option for you.
Emollient skin products and risk of severe and fatal burns
Emollient skin products are used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Emollients are safe to use but they can soak into clothing, dressings and bedding leaving a flammable residue. If exposed to a naked flame or a heat source, such as a cigarette, lighter, gas cooker, heater or fire, these dried fabrics can catch fire. The emollient residue in the fabric will help the fire develop and spread rapidly which could result in serious injury or death.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has published some safety advice on the safe use of emollient skin products on their website to help people who use emollients stay safe.
Information and resources for patients, carers and healthcare professionals highlighting the fire risks associated with emollients are available to download here.
The safe use of emollients video from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) shows how quickly clothing with skin cream dried on can catch fire.
Fake medicines and medical devices bought online can lead to serious negative health consequences. Buying from dodgy websites also increases the risk of being ripped off through credit card fraud or having your identity stolen.
The #FakeMeds campaign, run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), helps you protect your health and money by providing quick and easy tools so you can avoid fake medical products when you shop online.
Me and my medicines is a campaign led by patients and supported by clinical staff to help people raise concerns and use their medicines better. This will help everyone benefit from more effective, safer care.
In this Me and My Medicines podcast, Graham Prestwich, creator of Me and My Medicines, talks about ways that people can become more involved in the effective and safe use of their medicines.
If you're going into hospital and are currently taking medicines, please remember to take all your medicines into hospital with you. This short film by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust explains why this is really important.
The Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) is an essential service within the NHS Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF). NHS Trusts refer patients to the DMS when they are discharged from hospital. The service has been identified by NHS England’s Medicines Safety Improvement Programme to be a significant contributor to the safety of patients when they are discharged by reducing readmissions to hospital.
This leaflet about the Discharge Medicines Service has been approved by the Medicines Optimisation Committee. It explains to patients how their community pharmacist can support them with their medicines when they are discharged from hospital.
This information booklet Managing medication is a guide to assist health and social care workers in conversations with people about their medications.
In this medicines compliance aids podcast, Claire Kilburn, Lynne Precious and Ruth Buchan explain what medicines compliance aids are, and why there are often better options to help people manage their medicines.
Medicines Safety Week 2024 focused on the importance of using medicines in the right way to prevent side effects, and to report side effects when they do occur.
It's important to report suspected adverse reactions to medicines and vaccines but we are also encouraging the reporting of suspected problems with medical devices or other healthcare products to the Yellow Card scheme.
Please see 'Reporting adverse drug reactions' on the menu at the bottom of this page for more information about the Yellow Card scheme which can be used by patients and healthcare professionals.
The #MedSafetyWeek campaign web page here has a range of resources that can be used to support the campaign and raise awareness. Resources include two social media question cards that can also be used as posters, one for patients and one for healthcare professionals.
Patients and healthcare professionals can report suspected side effects of medicines, vaccines and e-cigarettes to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via the new Yellow Card reporting site.
Medical device incidents and defective or fake products can also be reported using this site. The Yellow Card Scheme is vital in helping the MHRA monitor the safety of all healthcare products in the UK to ensure safe and effective use.
The following case studies show how Yellow Card reporting can make a difference. The first video features Jazz, a pharmacist in Liverpool, who shares her experiences with reporting and why she felt it was important.
This second video below features an interview with Liz, a patient who shares her experiences and why she feels it is important to report.
There are four key things that you should know when you are prescribed medicine by a healthcare professional, they are:
If you aren't given this information then please remember - it's ok to ask.
In this medicines safety podcast, Chris Toothill, Medication Safety Officer for Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, talks about the importance of taking our medicines safely and correctly.
In this medicines safety podcast, Rachel Bastow and Attiya Ubaid talk about structured medication reviews, what they are and why they're important.
Sodium valproate, usually referred to as just ‘valproate’, is used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It can also prevent migraine. You may be more familiar with the brand names of medicines containing valproate which include Epilim® and Depakote®.
Research shows that valproate can seriously harm an unborn baby when taken during pregnancy. Birth defects include spina bifida (where the bones of the spine do not develop properly), malformations of the face, eyes or certain organs, and hearing problems. Where valproate is used during pregnancy, around 10 babies in every 100 will have a birth defect. In comparison, for pregnancies in which valproate is not used, around 2 to 3 babies in every 100 will have a birth defect.
In January 2024, strict guidelines were released:
In addition, if you are under 55 and are able to get pregnant, your specialist will put you on the UK Valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme. This is to reduce the risk of you getting pregnant whilst using valproate. On this programme, you must:
You may find this information worrying but it’s important that you do not stop taking valproate without checking with your specialist or GP first.
If you find out that you are pregnant, you must seek expert medical help within the next 24 hours. Healthcare professionals will help you stop using valproate as quickly and as safely as possible.
If you are not pregnant but want to try for a baby, make an urgent appointment with your GP. They will refer you to a specialist who will be able to give you the best advice. Do not stop using birth control until you and your specialist have agreed on the best treatment option for you.
If you would like to know more, the NHS website has more information on valproate.
You can report any side effects whilst taking valproate to www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s or GLP-1RAs) are medicines that help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating. Some newer medicines, like Mounjaro, also act on a second hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar control. You may see them referred to in the media as 'weight loss injections' or 'skinny jabs' but not all of these medicines are authorised for weight loss.
In the UK, there are several licensed GLP-1 medicines including semaglutide (sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus), tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and liraglutide (sold under various brand names). 'Licensed' means they have been assessed carefully by the MHRA and approved as safe and effective for certain uses.
Following concerns that these medicines are not being used safely, the MHRA has issued this guidance Medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. The guidance covers access to these medicines, their uses, risks, contraception and pregnancy, breastfeeding, depression or suicidal thoughts, and the use of these medicines around the time of surgery or an operation.