World Patient Safety Day 2026: Patient Safety at the Heart of Biodrug

Every year on 17 September, World Patient Safety Day brings patients, families, healthcare professionals, healthcare organizations, policy-makers and other stakeholders together around one fundamental principle: health care should be safe. The day was established by the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019 through Resolution WHA72.6, “Global action on patient safety,” which recognized patient safety as a global health priority.^1,5

Patient safety remains a major global public-health challenge. Approximately 1 in 10 patients experiences harm during health care.² Above 50% of harm (1 in every 20 patients) is preventable; half of this harm is attributed to medications.^3,4 Common adverse events that may result in avoidable patient harm are medication errors, unsafe surgical procedures, health care-associated infections, diagnostic errors, patient falls, pressure ulcers, patient misidentification, unsafe blood transfusion and venous thromboembolism.⁵

Medication-related harm is an important component of preventable patient harm. Safe use of medicines requires effective systems for identifying, reporting, assessing and learning from adverse reactions and medication errors. As part of its patient safety objectives, WHO emphasizes the importance of ensuring access to and the safe use of medicines and medical devices, alongside safer diagnostic processes and other measures aimed at preventing avoidable harm.^1,5-6

The theme of World Patient Safety Day 2026 is “Safe care for noncommunicable diseases”, accompanied by the campaign slogan “Safe care for life!” Orange is the symbolic colour of World Patient Safety Day. On 17 September, iconic landmarks, buildings and public spaces around the world will be illuminated in orange as a visible expression of support for patient safety.⁵

For pharmaceutical companies and pharmacovigilance professionals, World Patient Safety Day is also a reminder of the importance of continuously monitoring the benefit-risk balance of medicines throughout their life cycle.

At BIODRUG, patient safety is at the heart of pharmacovigilance. By continuously monitoring the safety of our medicinal products, evaluating safety information and supporting appropriate risk-minimisation measures, we contribute to the common goal of making treatment as safe as possible for every patient.

Author: Lívia Janotková - Pharmacovigilance Manager at Biodrug
Illustration: AI-generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) for illustrative purposes only.

References

1. World Health Organization. World Patient Safety Day [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; [cited 2026 Sep 16]. Available from: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-patient-safety-day
2. Slawomirski L, Klazinga N. The economics of patient safety: from analysis to action [Internet]. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; 2020 [cited 2026 Sep 16]. Available from: https://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/Economics-of-Patient-Safety-October-2020.pdf
3. Panagioti M, Khan K, Keers RN, Abuzour A, Phipps D, Kontopantelis E, et al. Prevalence, severity, and nature of preventable patient harm across medical care settings: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2019;366:l4185. doi:10.1136/bmj.l4185
4. Hodkinson A, Tyler N, Ashcroft DM, Keers RN, Khan K, Phipps D, et al. Preventable medication harm across health care settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Med. 2020;18(1):313. doi:10.1186/s12916-020-01774-9
5. World Health Organization. World Patient Safety Day 2026 [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026 [cited 2026 Sep 16]. Available from: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-patient-safety-day/2026
6. World Health Organization. Global burden of preventable medication-related harm in health care: a systematic review [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023 [cited 2026 Sep 16]. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240088887