Watch the animation to find out more about Know Check Ask (KCA).
Medicines are the most commonly used medical intervention in NI, and at any one time, around 70% of our population take prescribed or over-the-counter medicines to treat or prevent ill health.
All medication errors are potentially avoidable and the risk of these occurring can therefore be greatly reduced or even prevented.
KCA is a medication safety campaign developed to support the World Health Organisation’s third Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm. The aim of the WHO challenge is to reduce severe avoidable harm by 50% globally over the next five years.
Know Check Ask promotes the use of a three-step approach to help increase awareness of, and educate the public about, the importance of using medication safely. It also supports people to be more involved in decisions about their medication and encourage them to report issues and concerns about their medication and to keep an up-to-date ‘My Medicines List’.
Service user Eve explains why it is important for her to ‘Know, Check, Ask’
Health and Social Care Staff explain the importance of why they need to ‘Know, Check, Ask’
Volunteer Opportunity for Patients and Carers
We are recruiting Patient and Carer Volunteers to help us improve Medication Safety in Northern Ireland.
If you would like to find out more or want to get involved please email medicine.safety@hscni.net