In an unprecedented move to address one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges, Dublin Castle will play host to the first-ever All-Island Medication Safety Conference on 28–29 November 2024. This historic event aims to bridge healthcare practices across borders, uniting experts, researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates to bolster medication safety in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
A Timely Focus on Patient Safety
With adverse drug reactions contributing to nearly 10% of emergency admissions among patients over 65 in Ireland, the need for targeted action has never been clearer. The Irish Medication Safety Network (IMSN) and Transforming Medication Safety in Northern Ireland (TMSNI) will lead this conference, supported by collaborators including the Departments of Health from both jurisdictions, the Health Service Executive (HSE), Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and a network of patient advocates including Patients for Patient Safety Ireland and Parkinson’s Ireland.
Niamh O’Hanlon, Chair of IMSN, said: “This conference represents a pledge to build a safer healthcare future across Ireland. We need to share successes, confront challenges and leave with strategies that resonate from Belfast to Cork.”
Day 1: Pathways to Change On Thursday, 28th November, the focus will be on Pathways to Achieving Medication Without Harm, an interactive workshop where healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, and advocates will discuss what’s working well and how those successes can be scaled island-wide. Attendees will hear research updates, impactful patient stories and engage in discussions led by experts such as Ciara Kirke, Clinical Lead of the HSE’s National Medication Safety Programme, Dr Caitríona Cahir, RCSI School of Population Health and Anne Mooney from Patients for Patient Safety.
Dr Caitríona Cahir said: “Adverse drug reactions are a particular issue for older people and in our work at RCSI, we are trying to better understand the connection between high-risk prescribing and poor health outcomes. The cross-disciplinary conversations about medication safety that will take place at this conference will advance our collective efforts to reduce the risk and improve patient outcomes.”
Day 2: All-Island Medication Safety Conference Friday’s plenary will open with keynote remarks from Kate O’Flaherty, Director of the National Patient Safety Office and Prof Cathy Harrison, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for Northern Ireland.
Kate O’Flaherty said “Medication safety is a global patient safety challenge which requires everyone from patients to researchers, clinicians to policy-makers, to play their part. We in Dublin are delighted to host this first all-island conference which symbolises our collective will to meet this important challenge”.
Prof Cathy Harrison adds, “Collaboration is key. By sharing knowledge, we amplify our impact and reinforce the culture of safety in every hospital and clinic on this island.”