Wed 17 September 2025
AdPha champions safer paediatric care on World Patient Safety Day
World Patient Safety Day series highlights pharmacists’ role in protecting newborns and children
To mark World Patient Safety Day 2025, AdPha proudly launches the fourth annual World Patient Safety Day series authored by the AdPha Medication Safety Leadership Committee and edited by Linda Graudins FANZCAP (MedSafety).
This year’s theme — safe care for every newborn and child — brings together seven unique perspectives on safer medicine use for children and families. The series covers issues such as oral liquid dosing, off-label prescribing, risks across preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding, the importance of double-checking, and lived experiences that highlight the value of consumer involvement and research in paediatric care.
Toni Howell FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt, MedSafety), AdPha Medication Safety Leadership Committee Chair, says every newborn and child deserves a healthy start to life.
'As clinicians we must think about the risk of medication harm in our smallest patients – even when they are just a ‘twinkle’ – because preventable errors in medicines use can leave permanent scars.
'On World Patient Safety Day, we commit to “Patient safety from the start!” because newborns and young children are more susceptible to harm if care isn’t specifically adapted to their age, size, health condition and context.
'This series highlights the important role pharmacists and Pharmacy technicians play in safe paediatric care.’
As publisher of Don’t Rush to Crush+, AdPha provides clinicians with authoritative, evidence-informed guidance on medicine preparation and administration — essential for vulnerable patients, including children.
Dr Pathma Joseph FANZCAP (MedInfo, Paeds), Senior Pharmacist at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, says these resources are essential in supporting clinicians to deliver better care for children.
‘On World Patient Safety Day, we celebrate the care of every newborn and child—and the clinicians who make it possible.
'To protect children, we must support clinicians to give medicines more effectively, particularly for those with swallowing difficulties or on enteral feeding.
'That’s why resources like AdPha’s Don’t Rush to Crush Handbook are indispensable. It provides clear, evidence-based guidance for accurate oral medicines administration, strengthening paediatric care every day.'
The 2025 World Patient Safety Day Series is now available and includes:
- Lisa Robertson, FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt, MedSafety) starts the series by exploring medicines use and risks across all reproductive stages, from preconception and fertility risks, through pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
- Nam-Anh Nguyen FANZCAP (MedSafety, MedsMgmt) draws on personal experiences as a parent, health consumer, and a pharmacist and describes her and her children’s participation in pharmacy research including several studies and consumer reference groups.
- Linda V. Graudins FANZCAP (MedSafety), Editor, discusses off-label medication use for children, explaining why it is so common and often clinically appropriate but includes risks of adverse effects. Linda calls to create incentives for pharmaceutical companies to study medication in children.
- Claire Fitzgerald FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt, MedSafety) examines the implementation of child-resistant closures (CRCs) for medications to reduce the risk of childhood poisoning, offering advice about CRC use and accompanying strategies to minimise risks of child harm.
- Kerry Fitzsimons FAdPha provides targeted advice and guidance for the safe use of oral liquid medications for paediatric patients.
- Wendy Ewing FANZCAP (MedSafety) explains how the process of double-checking works, mapping the risks and offering guidance as to how it can be implemented appropriately.
- Toni Howell FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt, MedSafety), Chair, reflects on her experiences as a parent, explaining how we can help build confidence, reduce anxiety, and encourage lifelong approaches to safe medicine use in our littlest patients.
Don’t Rush to Crush+ is fully digital, available from MIMS and AusDI (Telstra Health).