October 2013
News Release: Taking Action to Reduce Medication Incidents in Canada - Government of Canada invests in national program to reduce incidents and improve patient safety
Health Canada is providing $3.2 million over two years to support the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada's (ISMP Canada's) continued work to expand the reach and impact of the Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System (CMIRPS).
Just as confusing road signs can cause traffic accidents, problems such as drug labels that look alike, drug names that sound alike, and miscommunication can all lead to medication incidents. A 2008 Commonwealth Fund survey found that nearly one in 10 adult Canadians with health problems reported receiving the wrong medication or the wrong dose from a pharmacy or hospital within the previous two years.
While many medication incidents don't cause harm, some can be very serious, even fatal. In most cases, medication incidents can be prevented.
CMIRPS helps improve understanding and information sharing about medication incidents in order to prevent them. Funding for CMIRPS will be used to collect and share information about medication incidents, including types, trends and underlying causes, as well as to develop tools and preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of harmful incidents happening again.
Health Canada is an active partner in CMIRPS. In addition to funding support, Health Canada contributes knowledge and expertise from its perspective as the federal regulator of health products, particularly with respect to reducing health risks related to a health product's name, package or label. As well, Health Canada uses information gathered through CMIRPS as part of its ongoing activities to monitor and improve the safety of medications and other health products in Canada.
ISMP Canada is an independent national not-for-profit organization committed to the advancement of medication safety in all healthcare settings. ISMP Canada, Health Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute all collaborate in CMIRPS.
