Medication Safety Self-Assessment for Long-Term Care Frequently Asked Questions

How many team meetings should we schedule?: Reports from previous users indicate it will take 2-3 hours to complete this self-assessment. Depending on your organization, you may wish to do this all at once or schedule two separate meetings. The assessment is divided into two sections, Part A: General and Part B: High-Alert Medications, creating a natural break point for a second meeting, if needed.
Do we need a team that includes interdisciplinary members as well as residents/family caregivers to complete the self-assessment?: Yes. Because medication use is a complex, inter-disciplinary process that also requires engagement with residents and family caregivers, the value and accuracy of the assessment is significantly reduced if it is completed by a single individual or discipline involved in medication use.
Do we need senior leadership representation on our team?: Yes. Attendance by an individual from the Home's leadership team is valuable because the assessment contains many items that relate to your organization's overall commitment to resident safety. Additionally, participation in the self-assessment provides senior leadership with insight into areas of risk in the medication use system.
May I make copies of the self-assessment document?: The copyright allows you to make copies of the self-assessment for internal use. You may not modify or alter the content. The assessment is intended for use as part of ongoing quality improvement activities. Other uses, such as in education presentations external to an individual Home/facility or corporate group require written permission from ISMP Canada. Email mssa@ismpcanada.ca for more information.
My organization has a number of sites. Do I need a password for each one?: It is recommended that each site within an organization complete the assessment independently. Each site will require its own password.