Communicating and promoting SAFE medicines use in Ireland
The likelihood of side effects of medicines, drug interactions and potentially inappropriate prescribing increase with the increasing number of medicines people take. Taking multiple medicines at the same time is common in people age 65 year olds or older with six in every ten in this age group. Also, around one in ten of those aged 65 years and older who take medicines are admitted to hospital due to the side effects of the medicines they take. Morbidity and mortality associated with taking medicines adds substantially to hospital admissions with high cost of health care. Improving information, understanding and allowing patients to take control of their own medicines use is essential.
The proposed KEDS activities will Include setting up a website (www.SAFEmedicines.ie) for this project and a national conference on safe medicines which will be linked to the website and social media. The activities will: (i) spread the news on what we find in our research on SAFE medicine use; (ii) provide tools/techniques for improving medicines management and health outcomes for patients and doctors, pharmacists, including health communication/information, engagement and giving back control to patients; and (iii) provide ways to make the research findings useful to those who make decisions about how medicines should be used and whether they are being used safely.
- Award Date
- 28 September 2017
- Award Value
- €56216
- Principal Investigator
- Professor Kathleen Bennett
- Host Institution
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
- Scheme
- Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme