New Public Education Campaign on Medication Safety from The Joint Commission
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Maureen Lyons
Corporate Communications
(630) 792-5171
(OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois, June 5, 2024) – The Joint Commission today launched Speak Up™ About Your Medications, a new public education campaign designed to educate and empower patients to take an active role in their own medication safety.
Medication safety relies on a team effort. It is the responsibility of the patient, the patient’s doctor, pharmacist and other caregivers to help ensure that the patient receives the correct medication and is knowledgeable about the correct dosage and possible side effects.
The Speak Up™ campaign offers ways patients can actively practice medication safety across care settings, such as learning about their medication, making sure their caregiver confirms their name before giving a medication and informing their doctor if they don’t feel well after taking a medication. The campaign also encourages patients to add new medications to their medication list, which they should always carry with them.
Additionally, the campaign provides a list of essential questions patients should ask their doctor when prescribed a new medication, including:
- How will this medication help me?
- Are there any side effects? What are they and how long will they last?
- Are there other medications or foods I should avoid while taking this medication?
- What should I do if I miss a dose?
The campaign also provides several questions for patients to ask their pharmacist, as well as tips for safely storing medications, including:
- Store medication in a cool, dry place away from sunlight — such as in a cabinet or drawer.
- Make sure the child safety cap works and store medicine where children can’t get to it.
- Discard unused medication in an environmentally friendly way. Not all medication can be flushed down a toilet or thrown in the trash.
“Medication errors that result from unsafe medication practices can lead to significantly adverse events and harm. By encouraging patients and their caregivers to become more knowledgeable and aware of their medications, they can help improve medication safety,” says Robert Campbell, PharmD, BCSCP, senior director, Standards Interpretation, Accreditation Decision Management and Medication Safety, The Joint Commission. “Improving medication safety perpetuates a collaborative healthcare culture where a patient along with their caregiver and pharmacist all work together to make sure the right medication and correct dosage are taken.”
Speak Up™ About Your Medications includes an infographic in English and Spanish, an animated video and a distribution guide to help healthcare organizations disseminate the information to patients. These materials are free to reproduce and disseminate if credited to The Joint Commission.
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About The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve healthcare for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating healthcare organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.