Walking the Talk by Putting Patient Safety at the Heart of Access to Medicines
No health system can effectively deliver quality care without access to medical products that are safe and of assured quality. Access without safety is a false promise, one that puts lives at risk, undermines public trust in health systems, and wastes precious health investments. Access to medicines is a cornerstone of global health efforts. But access without safety is a false promise. As the world works to expand access to essential treatments, patient safety must be central to every conversation, policy, and initiative. It’s time for stakeholders to walk the talk by embedding safety into the DNA of healthcare delivery.
As global efforts focus on expanding access to essential medicines, it is critical that patient safety becomes the foundation of every policy, program, and conversation. Too often, discussions about access prioritize cost and availability, while overlooking the equally vital question. Are the medicines safe and effective?
Healthcare workers must be empowered to not only deliver care. They must also have the capability to recognize and report quality issues. In the Gambia, the tragic deaths of children due to contaminated cough syrup underscore the urgent need for frontline vigilance , market surveillance and better training in detecting harmful products. We are seeing countries begin to put measures in place that allow them to take consistent actions against counterfeit and substandard medicines to make credible deterrents.
Policymakers must ensure that procurement and access strategies are rooted in quality assurance. Initiatives like the Global Fund and Gavi have set the standard by requiring WHO-prequalified suppliers. African countries should make this approach the norm, not the exception, by requiring some kind of pre qualification process that involves evaluation of any supplier prior to being allowed to export medicines into any African market. Regulators play a crucial role in safeguarding the medical supply chain. They must be resourced to carry out regular inspections, post-market surveillance, and rapid response to quality concerns. Ghana’s deployment of mobile mini-labs at pharmacies and borders shows how regulatory innovation can directly protect patients.
Pharmaceutical companies need to prioritize quality across all markets, not just in high-income countries. Technologies like serialization and traceability systems — already being implemented in Zimbabwe, Nigeria and others are key to keeping counterfeit and substandard products out of the supply chain. Civil society and NGOs must advocate for patient-centered policies and amplify the voices of those affected by unsafe medicines. Public awareness campaigns and watchdog initiatives can pressure systems to be more transparent and accountable.
Patients, too, have a role. Empowering communities to ask questions, verify their medicines, and report adverse reactions can create a powerful demand for safer healthcare. Access to medicines should not be a gamble. It must come with the guarantee of safety, because quality is not optional. t is essential. Only by putting patient safety at the heart of health access can we ensure that the promise of healthcare becomes a reality for all.
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Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Medicolegal Expert, Health Systems, Global Health Expert
2wThis is a valuable contribution that rightly places patient safety at the forefront. To build upon this strong foundation, future discussions could explore the economic sustainability of these measures and the transformative potential of the African Medicines Agency in harmonising regulations across 55 national authorities. This collaborative approach is key to ensuring these vital safety standards are both effective and achievable for all. #RegulatoryHarmonisation #AfricanMedicinesAgency
PharmD
2wWhen pharmacovigilance reporting tools for adverse drug reactions are well understood and accessible to the general public, rather than a select few, product safety during mass use can be effectively monitored, as broader participation ensures more comprehensive reporting.