Medication Safety Across The System (MSATS)

About MSATS

Medicines use is complex and crosses many boundaries of care. Medication safety initiatives require a system-wide approach to ensure improvements are sustainable and embedded in practice.

MSATS is a concept that supports medication safety, by addressing complex, system-wide issues and encouraging a collaborative approach to quality improvement.

Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS) MSATS resources are developed to support a network of engaged Medication Safety Activists (MSAs) in addressing complex, system-wide medication issues and supporting the delivery of safety improvement initiatives.

Medication Safety Activists

An MSA is any individual, whether they are a healthcare professional or not, with a passion to improve medication safety and who takes action to do so. MSAs may belong to any professional group and work within any care setting. Anyone could consider themselves to be an MSA, including those that provide a patient voice.

Many roles exist where ‘medication safety’ is included within the job description (for example Medication Safety Officers (MSOs), see The Medication Safety Officer (MSO) role (SPS page)). However, an MSA does not need to have a medication safety role defined within their job description. An MSA may work only on discreet tasks related to improving medication safety processes or culture within their practice or system.

MSAs may contribute to a diverse range of medication safety initiatives or may have an interest in only one defined medication safety risk or clinical speciality.

Professional collaboration

All healthcare professionals involved in medicines use need to be engaged in the design and delivery of medication safety initiatives. Collaborative working is an important aspect of MSATS and there are multiple ways for MSAs to network with others. The MSATS resources encourage all professional groups to participate in discussions and ensure representation of all relevant views related to safety issues, processes and new initiatives.

There are a number of key individuals and professional groups within a system where close working relationships benefit the safety agenda. Collaboration opportunities to improve medication safety (SPS page) explores this further.

Patient voice

Hearing and understanding the patient, family and carer perspective is an essential factor in the design and delivery of medication safety initiatives.

Ensuring the patient voice is represented and heard is a core element of the MSATS resources.

Guidance to promote the involvement of patients, carers, families and those with lived experience can be found in the article A patient-centred approach to improving medication safety (SPS page).

MSATS support and resources

MSATS resources address challenging system-wide medication safety issues through spotlight topics which are defined medication safety challenges affecting the whole system. The aim is to inspire and equip MSAs to translate shared learning from innovative practices into action, through supporting replication of similar initiatives across systems. A collaborative step-by-step approach is required, to ensure sustained improvement in safe medication practices.

The resources include interactive webinar events, safety articles and a platform for networking and engagement.

MSATS articles

SPS host a series of articles which deliver guidance to strategies to support system-wide medication safety improvements. Each article focusses on one specific spotlight topic; exploring the risks and strategies for harm mitigation and improvement. They include past webinar recordings and other associated resources.

The MSATS series of associated articles can be accessed via the SPS medication safety page, along with other useful medication safety resources.

MSATS webinars

SPS deliver webinars on a defined medication safety challenge affecting the whole system where a collaborative step-by-step approach is required to ensure a sustained improvement in safe medication practices. A focus for each webinar promotes a deeper exploration of the safety issue.

New MSATS topics start with a webinar, as they play an important role in:

• highlighting current challenges
• exploring system-wide safety solutions
• engaging the MSA network in a call to action
• sharing innovative medication safety solutions from the MSA network that are translatable to any setting
• supporting a system-wide approach to safety solutions
• encouraging participants to reflect on their local practice and assess the potential impact that the safety initiatives discussed could have on their system
• encouraging networking and sharing of ideas through active participation in the live webinar chat

Upcoming MSATS webinars are advertised in Next events (SPS page). You can also hear about upcoming events by registering for the SPS website and opting in to receive email updates.

Previous webinar spotlight topics are incorporated into our collection of MSATS articles, which can be found in the SPS medication safety page.

MSATS podcasts

A number of podcasts are available to support the MSATS series. You can find them in the MSATS articles, on the SPS Soundcloud page or through the links below.

MSATS network

The MSATS network brings together MSAs from all care settings and professions to promote collaborative working. Collaboration is essential for the development of system-wide, effective and sustainable medication safety improvement initiatives.

The Medication Safety Across the System (MSATS) workspace on FutureNHS (login required) is the home of the MSATS network. It aims to promote the sharing of local experience, safety concerns and initiatives.

MSAs are encouraged to network via the discussion platform, which provides a forum for questions and discussion of medication safety issues.

The workspace information repository allows peer to peer sharing of local resources that have the potential for being replicated or adapted for use in other organisations. MSAs may also share their work with the MSA network through presenting at MSATS webinars. MSAs should contact SPS Medication Safety Leads by email at SPSMUSEnquiries@liverpoolft.nhs.uk to upload resources to the MSATS workspace on FutureNHS or to discuss future webinar presentations.

Get involved

If you have ideas for future MSATS topics, let us know by emailing SPSMUSEnquiries@liverpoolft.nhs.uk.

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