The Commission works to improve the safety and quality of medication use in Australia. It leads and coordinates national initiatives to reduce medication errors and harm from medicines. Medication safety forms part of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards (second edition).
Information in these pages can help health service organisations and clinicians identify and implement strategies to improve medication safety.
The Charter describes rights that consumers, or someone they care for, can expect when receiving health care. These rights apply to all people in all places where health care is provided in Australia. This includes public and private hospitals, day procedure services, general practice and other community health services.
Serious adverse events such as unexpected death and cardiac arrest are often preceded by observable physiological and clinical abnormalities. Other serious events such as suicide or aggression are are also often preceded by observed or reported changes in a person's behaviours or mood that can indicate a deterioration in their mental state.
The health care that people receive in the last years, months and weeks of their lives can help to minimise the distress and grief associated with death and dying for the individual, and for their family, friends and carers.
Partnering with consumers is a key priority of the Commission. It is about actively working with people who use the healthcare system to ensure that care is safe, high-quality and meets people’s needs. It is embedded in health service organisations through the Partnering with Consumers Standard.
In March 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the third Global Patient Safety Challenge with the theme of medication without harm. In April 2020, the Commission published Australia's response, highlighting Australia's goal to reduce medication errors, adverse drug events and medication-related harm.
Delivering comprehensive care in alignment with the Comprehensive Care Standard is about ensuring that health care provided is informed by a person's clinical and personal needs and preferences, is shaped by shared decisions, and is planned and delivered in partnership with the multidisciplinary team.
Outlines the information for organisations seeking approval as an accrediting agency under the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation (AHSSQA) Scheme.
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a serious gastrointestinal disease, often caused by inappropriate antimicrobial use.
The awarding of exemplar practice is used to highlight examples of safe and good-quality practice in health services who are implementing the NSQHS Standards, to facilitate the sharing of information between organisations.
Awarding accreditation to a health service organisation provides assurance to the community that the organisation meets expected patient safety and quality standards.
Approved accrediting agencies assess health service organisations to the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, Multi-Purpose Services (MPS) Module, and/or the National Clinical Trials Governance Framework. These agencies are approved by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) following application and review by an approval panel.