Pharmacists Leading the Way in Medication Safety

Pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines. With their specialised expertise in pharmacotherapy, they are well-positioned to identify and resolve medication-related problems, support medication adherence, and optimise treatment outcomes for both prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Enhancing medication safety requires a collaborative and multifaceted approach—improving communication, strengthening medication reconciliation, and fostering teamwork across healthcare professionals. As the final point of contact before a medicine reaches the patient, pharmacists are uniquely placed to lead efforts, and thus medication safety starts with the pharmacist’s contribution.

Moderator:

- Luís Lourenço, Professional Secretary, FIP, Portugal

Co-moderator:

- Aysu Selçuk, Development Goals Lead, FIP, The Netherlands

Panellists:

- Reba A Forbess, Pharmacy Operations Manager, PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Coordinator, Houston Methodist Willowbrook, USA

- Paul Gallagher, Chair FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN Centre for Excellence Western Pacific Region; Joint Programme Director-B. Pharm. (Hons.), National University of Singapore, Singapore

- Irina Papieva, Technical Officer, World Health Organization HQ, Switzerland