Background Medication errors are major global issues adversely impacting patient safety and health outcomes. Medication safety practices are evolving rapidly. It is imperative to explore the views of the healthcare workforce, key stakeholders and their knowledge, attitude and practice towards strategies, and standards, to prevent medication errors.

Purpose To explore the key stakeholders’ (e.g. policy-makers, professional leaders and managers, lead educators and trainers) views on strategies, standards, standardisation, priorities and the political landscape to promote patient safety and medication error reporting.

To explore their perceptions of processes of implementing change to routine practice to promote patient safety.

Material and methods The quantitative phase was done using a Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture questionnaire. Eighteen, in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of key stakeholders (e.g. policy-makers, professional leaders and managers, lead educators and trainers) were conducted using a topic guide derived from the previous phases of the study (focus group and questionnaire). Qualitative data analysis was undertaken using the Framework Approach.

Results One-thousand, six-hundred and four questionnaires were received, there were statistically significant scores in terms of age, experience (were more confident in reporting errors) p<0.001 and profession (pharmacists were more confident) p<0.05. The interviewed key stakeholders shared a common view that increased error reporting could significantly improve patient safety and they were also aware concerning the seriousness of under-reporting and thus building a non-punitive, fair-blame culture was imperative. Management support for patient safety was clearly evidenced during the interviews. Feedback and communication about errors was repeatedly recognised as key to promoting a culture of patient safety. The key stakeholders also recognised that the current medication error-reporting processes and systems were grossly sub-optimal in preventing or minimising medication errors.

Conclusion This study of key stakeholder perspectives has highlighted the key stakehoders’ concern about the positive and negative aspects of organisational culture, and has informed the importance of the development of interventions to promote patient safety and the sustainmability of a patient safety culture.

References and/or acknowledgements https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0204801

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/authors?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0204987

No conflict of interest.