Introducing our speakers
speech abstract
A new vision for medicines safety
While drug safety organizations, pharmaco-vigilance centres and regulatory agencies in many countries are doing their best to make medication use safer for our patients, most of the safety surveillance systems are still fragmented and not coordinated. For example, many adverse drug reactions are caused by system-based problems which are not adequately addressed. From the patient’s perspective, it does not really matter if the problem they experience arises from an adverse drug reaction, or from a medication error. They want the problem fixed. A new vision of drug safety is presented to describe an innovative but pragmatic approach in which all aspects of safe use of medicines, or unsafe issues should be examined and effectively handled. It takes a visionary to start the journey in the endeavour, but it requires leadership, partnership and political will to make it happen. It is time for action. We all owe it to our patients.
biography
David U is the president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada). ISMP Canada is an independent Canadian non-profit organization established for the collection and analysis of medication error reports and the development of recommendations for the enhancement of patient safety. In late 2003, ISMP Canada signed an agreement with Health Canada to work with Canadian Institute for Health Information and Health to establish and operate the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention program.
David has a professional pharmacist background. He has held senior pharmacy management position in different hospitals in more than 20 years. His interests in medication safety, healthcare and information technologies in these years have provided David the expertise, passion and clear direction to be very much involved in medication safety. In late 1999, David, together with Michael Cohen of ISMP (US) founded ISMP Canada which has since initiated many medication safety projects across Canada. He has written numerous articles on medication safety in professional journals, newspapers, and ISMP Canada Safety bulletins. David has been speaking in many national and international conferences on medication safety.
Presently David U is a member of Board of Trustees of the Institute for Safe Medication Practice (ISMP) in the US. In addition, David is a member of the Patient Safety Advisory Committee of Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, Steering Committee of the Safer Healthcare Now! Campaign, the Ontario Patient Safety Task Force, the Ontario Hospital Association Patient Safety Advisory Committee, and the Ontario Coroner’s Patient Safety Review Committee.
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