Safety & quality

Medication safety

SA Health has developed a strategic medication safety work plan, aligned with local and national priorities, to provide a more uniform and coordinated approach to enhancing the safe use of medicines and reducing potential for medication-related errors. The South Australian Medication Safety Advisory Group (SAMSAG) will oversee the implementation of the plan.

National Inpatient Medication Charts

SA Health supports the implementation of a range of nationally approved medication charts to promote safer use of medicines through standardisation of documentation.

National labelling recommendations

National recommendations for user-applied labelling of injectable medicines fluids and lines.

SA Health supports the national labelling recommendations and has issued an implementation pack to assist statewide implementation.

Pharmaceutical reforms

SA Health has commenced implementing the pharmaceutical reforms for public hospitals. This State and National initiative has increased the safety and quality of medicine use through implementation of the APAC guiding principles for medicines management across the continuum of care. It has also increased equity and access to medicines through implementation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Standardised terminology, abbreviations and symbols for medicines communication

SA Health has issued a directive for standardised national terminology, abbreviations and symbols to be used in the prescribing and administering of medicines in Australian hospitals.