Medicines are by their nature always ‘poisons’ as they can influence (drastically) the fysiology of an organism.

So let’s turn around the general idea that medicines can have negative side effects and correct it into;

only by carefull prescription and use the patient can benefit from the positive side effects of potential ‘poisons’.

That’s why at GIMS we use this back side on our business cards.

In cooperation with a pharmacy student from Utrecht University, Ms Aradhana Kohli, as part of her MSc-thesis, the following will be addressed in a more abstract way:

1) Create a blueprint for a (international applicable) screening and rating model of all structures, processes, actors, factors and the corresponding critical dynamics (Attitude, Knowledge, Tools) between them, concerning Medication Safety in a country.

2) Use the designed screening and rating model on the Dutch situation and evaluate the screening model.

3) Use the results from the Dutch screening for advice on the desired follow up in The Netherlands.

The research project starts in April 2016 and will take six months.

When it comes down to getting a better insight in all the actors and factors within a nation, having an influence on the theme of Medication Safety for an individual patient/consumer, a picture is helpfull.

GIMS created this one:

Alfa actors: health care practioners (doctors, pharmacists, nurses) and retail.

Beta actors: professional organisations of HCP’s, national health care institues (like NICE for the UK), health care software providers, pharmaceutical retail formulas, pharmaceutical wholesale, pharmacovigilance organisations.

Gamma actors: national medicines regulatory bodies, national inspectorate, ministeries of health, academia, patient & consumer organisations, pharmaceutical industry, insurance bodies and/or companies, international bodies like WHO, EMA, EFPIA, PGEU, Cochrane.

Delta factors: national medicines and healthcare legislation, culture, religion, economics, politics, stability and prosperity of a society.