Concerns over safety of drug dispensing

The Acting Secretary for Food and Health is urging all healthcare professionals to abide by guidelines to ensure patients receive the correct drugs to treat their condition.

The campaign, which is being led by Professor Gabriel Leung, began following the death of a patient after she was given the wrong type of medication whilst in hospital. Poor communication between the staff on duty has been cited as a contributing factor in the run-up to the mistake.

Professor Leung has urged the hospital management team to conduct a thorough review of the report and identify some learning points to make sure the incident is not repeated. The health authority said it will check that the hospital involved does act on the learning points from the report in a bid to improve patient safety.