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Medicine Optimisation

(NICE, 2015)

Medicine optimisation is defined as: 'a person-centred approach to safe and effective medicines use, to ensure people obtain the best possible outcomes from their medicines. Shared decisionmaking is an essential part of evidencebased medicine, seeking to use the best available evidence to guide decisions about the care of the individual patient, taking into account their needs, preferences and values'.

Eight recommendations for Medicine optimisation include:

    1. Systems for identifying, reporting and learning from medication incidents.
    2. Medication-related communication systems when patients move from one care setting to another.
    3. Medication reconciliation.
    4. Medication review.
    5. Self-management plans.
    6. Patient decision aids in consultations involving medications.
    7. Clinical decision support.
    8. Medication-related models of organisational and cross-sector working.

Medication Error Prevention

(NCC-MERP, 2016)

    1. Encourage standardization of processes to prevent error-prone aspects of drug procurement, prescribing, dispensing, administration, and disposal.
    2. Encourage shared accountability and systems-based solutions to enhance the safety of medication use and to minimize the potential for human error.
    3. Promote/encourage the safe use and understanding of technology in the prevention of medication errors.
    4. Increase awareness of the need for distinctive packaging, labeling, and nomenclature of products associated with actual or potential medication errors.
    5. Educate consumers and patients regarding strategies to prevent medication errors for both prescription and non-prescription medications.
    6. Educate healthcare professionals about causes of medication errors and strategies for prevention.