When completing the PSSA, pharmacy teams may find it beneficial to discuss the overall approach to completing the tool. There are five key activities that will help to maximize the effectiveness of the tool:
Review medication safety practice
Identify areas for improvement
Develop an action plan
Implement action plan
Monitor improvements and progress
In order to facilitate continuous quality improvement and ongoing advancement in medication safety practices, pharmacists will be required to complete one cycle of the PSSA in the first year of its implementation and then every two to three years thereafter. The PSSA may also be completed for other reasons such as after a serious patient safety incident, following a change in staffing or following an inspection/audit. Completed PSSA cycles will be accessible and can be reviewed within the Pharmapod platform. Your team’s results will be available each time the PSSA is completed, allowing a comparison over time.
The PSSA consists of six domains, with statements under each domain and is constructed with a focus on CQI and implementation of concrete and tangible medication safety strategies. The Designated Manager is responsible for ensuring the PSSA is complete and should involve the wider pharmacy team in the process and associated actions for improvement.