Daily Times

Health experts in a panel discussion organised by Bayer Pakistan opined that the use of technology can help overcome challenges in patient safety. Lack of patient safety is the 14th leading cause of morbidity and mortality across the world according to a 2017 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The panel discussion was part of an event organised to mark International Patient Safety Day 2019, which calls for all stakeholders in health care systems to work together to improve patient safety, a goal which Bayer is committed to.

During the discussion, renowned medical practitioners and educationists including, Indus Hospital Quality and Monitoring Directorate Executive Director Dr Abdul Basit Baig, Ziauddin University Faculty of Pharmacy Dean Dr Rafeeq Alam, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) Professor of Family Medicine Dr Riaz Qureshi, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) Karachi Assistant Director Dr Waqar Ahmed and Central Drug Laboratory (CDL) Karachi Assistant Director Dr Mahrukh Mughal shared their views on patient safety and discussed measures to improve awareness of key issues relating to patient safety amongst the public. These included the importance of taking prescription medication as prescribed, and the monitoring and timely reporting of any adverse events.

The panel urged Ministry of Health medical practitioners, drug regulators, health advisors and professionals to work together and spread awareness about patient safety and develop a mechanism to mitigate risks.

“The goal is to improve the health literacy of citizens and empower patients to be actively engaged in taking responsibility for their own health. In this regard, technological solutions such as SafeTrack, Bayer’s new web-based tool, can go a long way toward promoting safety,” said Bayer Pharmacovigilance Country Head Dr Syed Rizwan Ahmed.

During the event, Bayer Pakistan announced the launch of SafeTrack, a new web-based, digital tool for the public which is designed to allow for easy, quick and convenient reporting of adverse events.

“As a leading pharmaceutical company, patient safety is one of Bayer’s core values and our highest priority. This event, and the launch of SafeTrack, demonstrates Bayer’s commitment to ensure the safety of current and future patients and consumers,” said Bayer Pakistan CEO and Managing Director Dr Imran Ahmad Khan.

“We hope that this Patient Safety Day event and panel discussion will encourage patient safety stakeholders to use SafeTrack, which provides a quick, easy and convenient way of reporting adverse events digitally back to us to help improve patient safety,” he said.

“Our Pharmacovigilance colleagues work diligently at every stage of the product lifecycle to ensure that the benefits of our products outweigh the risks,” Khan said, adding that Bayer Pakistan looks forward to working with relevant stakeholders in the country to improve patient safety.