Ecosystems network contributing to MOWG WHO Challenge

Medicine Optimisation Working Group (MOWG) has invited our ecosystems to participate in the 3rd Global Patient Safety Challenge by the World Health Organisation. We initiated the project with a webinar that we held in MOWG in cooperation with WHO on October 17th. At the webinar we set out the goal to find Champions whose task it would be to provide feedback on the state of medication management in relation to WHO Challenge in their countries across ECHAlliance ecosystems.

In December 2018 we have first asked ECHAlliance ecosystems to help us identify Champions who would be willing to visit the ministries of health or medicines agencies in their countries and present the WHO Global Patient Challenge. We have successfully reached 9 Champions. During January and February we have received feedback from our Champions.The main areas of improvement are high-risk situations, polypharmacy and transitions of care, and these areas have been targeted by all Champions.

Summary of findings was presented at two occasions, firstly on March 4th at our MOWG webinar, and secondly at the “Pharmacists in the hospital ward” conference in Wroclaw Poland on March 7th. The chair of MOWG, Dr Michael Scott, of the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre expressed his satisfaction with the contribution of our ecosystems and champions to the project. 

MOWG plans to develop the program further in cooperation with WHO. We expect the network of Champions to grow and contribute to the goal of reducing harm from medications by 50% by 2023.