The EAHP Board, elected for three-year terms, oversees the association’s activities. Comprising directors responsible for core functions, it meets regularly to implement strategic goals. Supported by EAHP staff, the Board controls finances, coordinates congress organization, and ensures compliance with statutes and codes of conduct.
Background
Medication errors are recognised as a major patient safety problem.
They occur in all stages of the medication management process and have the potential to lead to patient harm, prolonged hospital stays, readmission or even death. Different measures to improve medication safety in hospitals have been taken to reach the World Health Organization’s (WHOs) target of globally reducing avoidable harm related to medications by 50%, by 2022.
However, despite the introduction of computerised prescriber order entry solutions, electronic medication administration records, bar code medication administration, automated dispensing devices and other clinical decision support systems in some hospitals, medication errors continue to occur. In particular, in intensive cancer units and ambulatory care/one day hospitals where patients received anticancer medication every month they can significantly impact patient care and outcomes.
Scope of activities
EAHP’s SIG for the Investigation of Medication Errors and Efficiency in Oncology would on the one hand be looking at determining the prevalence of medication errors , their causes, including the healthcare professionals shortages and the impact of medication errors in healthcare professionals (know as second victims). On the other hand, the members of the SIG would develop recommendations for lowering medication errors in oncology and improving efficiency across Europe.