Med Safety Week 2023

6 to 12 November is 'Medsafetyweek'. The aim of this global campaign launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) is to raise public awareness about the safety and proper use of medicines.

Luxembourg - committed to medicine-related risk evaluation and prevention

Like last year, the 2023 'Medsafetyweek' will once again call on Luxembourg's pharmacists to be ambassadors for drug safety. Information materials will be available in pharmacies aimed at raising public awareness on the subject. Both patients and health professionals are encouraged to participate actively in making medical products safe by reporting any adverse effects associated with taking medication.

Each report allows more information to be gathered on the use of medicines. This means that if a new risk appears linked to a particular drug, the public authorities may decide to modify its use in order to ensure patient safety.

In Luxembourg, the following regulatory authorities manage the reporting of side effects:

• the Division of Pharmacy and Medicines and the Health Directorate
• the Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre Nancy

The campaign has set up the following communication initiatives:

• posters in pharmacies used by the general public
• digital signage
• roll-out of campaign on social networks (awareness videos in 3 languages)
• communication and awareness-raising among the country's pharmacists: distribution of badges identifying them as ambassadors for drug safety
• emergency instructions - conversations between pharmacist and patient

Further information on the Health Directorate's pharmacovigilance work is available at www.sante.lu/dpm.