FORUM Expert consultation as a cornerstone of medication safety The role of pharmacies in patient safety Personalised advice from pharmacists helps ensure that medicines are used correctly and risks are identified. With an ageing population and the resulting increase in polypharmacy — the simultaneous use of at least five different medications — the prevention of medication errors is becoming an increasingly challenging task [3]. Additionally, pharmacists are among the most accessible, frequently visited and most trusted healthcare professionals [4]. The World Health Federation estimates the global cost of medication errors to be 42 billion US dollars per year [5]. Personal advice counts Examples of best practice from Finland, the Netherlands and other countries show how interprofessional teams involving pharmacists, doctors and nurses can minimise errors in medicine use [1]. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) is calling for greater political commitment to ensuring universal pharmacy coverage and the safe administration of medication to patients in primary and ambulatory care settings [6]. This approach is supported by the results of a recent Forsa survey, which found that around two-thirds of the population would like to see more services provided by their local pharmacy, with 96% considering their local pharmacy to be important [7]. HARTMANN solutions for your pharmacy HARTMANN supports pharmacies in strengthening their key role by providing products, services and digital solutions that make everyday life noticeably easier. The HARTMANN Academy is a B2B platform offering a wide range of training and development opportunities, including practical customer consultation knowhow for pharmacies. Pharmacies are much more than just places to buy medicines and medical devices. As the first point of contact for health-related queries, they offer expert, personalised advice and pharmaceutical services. These include providing information on the use and interactions of medicines and preparing individual prescriptions. This makes them a vital part of the healthcare system and significantly contributes to patient safety [1, 2]. References 1. FIP. Patient safety. Pharmacists’ role in “Medication without harm” 2020. https://www.fip.org/file/4757 2. Bader L, Kusynová Z, Duggan C (2019). Res Social Adm Pharm 15(7):815-817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2019.02.012 3. statistica. Anzahl der Arbeitsplätze in öffentlichen Apotheken in Deutschland in den Jahren 1997 bis 2024. https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/5065/umfrage/ anzahl-der-arbeitsplaetze-in-oeffentlichen-apotheken (accessed on 13.08.2025) 4. WHO. Medication Safety in Polypharmacy 2019. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/325454/WHO-UHC-SDS-2019.11-eng.pdf?ua=1 5. WHO. Medication Without Harm. https://www.who.int/initiatives/medication-without-harm (accessed on 13.08.2025) 6. APS. Ergebnisse der Petition für Patientensicherheit. https://www.aps-ev.de/2024/12/12/patientensicherheit-im-gesundheitswesen-strukturiert-und-nachhaltigverankern-2/ (accessed on 13.08.2025) 7. ABDA. Online-Pressekonferenz „Die Gesundheits- und Arzneimittelversorgung nach der Wahl: Erwartungen der Bevölkerung und neue Versorgungsangebote der Apotheken“ vom 09.04.2025. https://www.abda.de/fileadmin/user_upload/assets/Pressetermine/2025/Pk_20250409_forsa-Umfrage/ABDA_Online-PK_20250409_ Folienpraesentation.pdf 24
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDU5MjM=