Understanding the WHO Initiative: Who Medication Without Harm? Is a Global Goal

October 5, 2025 •

5 min read

Medication errors are a leading cause of injury and preventable harm in healthcare systems worldwide, costing an estimated $42 billion annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) responded to this global crisis with the launch of its third Global Patient Safety Challenge, titled “Medication Without Harm,” to address system weaknesses and human factors that lead to errors.

Quick Summary

The WHO's 'Medication Without Harm' challenge mobilizes global action to improve medication safety practices. This involves empowering patients and healthcare professionals to reduce avoidable harm from errors and unsafe practices. Key focus areas include managing polypharmacy, high-risk situations, and care transitions.

Key Points

Global Challenge: The WHO launched the 'Medication Without Harm' challenge to halve severe, avoidable medication-related harm globally by focusing on patient, provider, and system factors.
Key Action Areas: The initiative targets three critical areas: managing polypharmacy, addressing high-risk medication situations, and improving safety during transitions of care.
Patient Empowerment: The 'KNOW. CHECK. ASK.' campaign encourages patients to be active participants in their care, asking crucial questions about their medications.
5 Moments for Safety: The WHO promotes the '5 Moments for Medication Safety' tool, guiding patients through key stages of their treatment, including starting, taking, and stopping medication.
Shared Responsibility: Achieving medication safety requires collaboration between patients, who must follow directions and communicate honestly, and healthcare providers, who must ensure clear instructions and safe systems.

The WHO's Global Patient Safety Challenge: 'Medication Without Harm'

In March 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its third Global Patient Safety Challenge, 'Medication Without Harm,' with the ambitious goal of reducing severe, avoidable medication-related harm by 50% globally. The initiative was a direct response to the widespread and often devastating impact of medication errors, which arise from complex systems and human factors such as fatigue, staff shortages, and poor environmental conditions. The challenge is built on a strategic framework targeting four key domains: patients and the public, health care professionals, medicines and systems, and medication practices. By addressing systemic failures, the program seeks to make the medication use process safer for everyone involved, from prescription and preparation to dispensing, administration, and monitoring.

The Three Key Action Areas

The 'Medication Without Harm' initiative prioritizes three critical areas to focus its efforts and achieve meaningful results:

Polypharmacy: This area addresses the risks associated with patients taking multiple medications for different conditions. The more drugs a person takes, the higher the risk of adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, and incorrect dosing. The WHO aims to promote thorough medication reviews, particularly for older adults, to ensure that every medication is still necessary and appropriate.
High-risk situations: These are scenarios, such as certain surgical procedures or intensive care, where the risk of medication error is significantly higher. High-alert medications like insulin and anticoagulants also fall into this category due to their potential for causing serious harm if misused. The initiative calls for strict protocols, double-checking procedures, and enhanced vigilance to minimize error in these settings.
Transitions of care: This focuses on the points where patients move between different healthcare settings, such as hospital admission, transfer to another facility, or discharge. These moments are particularly prone to error due to miscommunication or lack of information transfer. A key strategy is ensuring that a complete and accurate medication list follows the patient and is reviewed at every step.

Empowering Patients with KNOW. CHECK. ASK.

A central component of the WHO's campaign is the call to action, “KNOW. CHECK. ASK.”. This is designed to empower patients and their caregivers to take an active role in their own care. It encourages a proactive approach to medication management by asking critical questions and verifying information throughout the treatment process. This is supported by the '5 Moments for Medication Safety' tool, which provides prompts for patients at five key junctures.

The 5 Moments for Medication Safety:

Starting a medication: Asking questions about why it is prescribed, how to take it correctly, and what side effects to watch for.
Taking my medication: Verifying the correct dosage and timing, and understanding storage requirements.
Adding a medication: Considering potential interactions with existing medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
Reviewing my medication: Regularly checking in with a healthcare provider to ensure all medications are still needed and appropriate.
Stopping my medication: Consulting with a doctor or pharmacist before discontinuing a medication to avoid adverse effects or recurrence of symptoms.

Practical Steps for Safe Medication Management

Preventing medication harm is a shared responsibility, but there are many concrete actions individuals can take to protect themselves and their families. Proper medication management, clear communication with healthcare providers, and diligence at home are all essential parts of the solution.

The Patient's Role in Safety

Keep an up-to-date medication list: Maintain a comprehensive record of all prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements. Share this list with all your healthcare providers.
Follow dosage instructions precisely: Never take more or less than the prescribed dose. Use the measuring device provided for liquid medicines and avoid kitchen spoons, as their sizes vary.
Store medications safely: Keep medicines in a cool, dry place, out of reach and sight of children and pets. Avoid the bathroom due to humidity.
Use pill organizers and reminders: For a complex medication schedule, use a pill organizer or set phone alarms to stay on track and prevent missed or double doses.
Dispose of expired or unused medication properly: Check expiration dates and participate in drug take-back programs. If unavailable, mix medication with an unpalatable substance and seal in a bag before disposal.

The Healthcare Provider's Role

Providers and health systems are crucial for systemic safety improvements. As noted by the WHO, most harm arises from systems failures. Key actions for healthcare professionals include:

Medication Reconciliation: Comparing a patient's existing medication list with new orders to avoid errors during care transitions.
Clear Communication: Ensuring patients understand their treatment plan, potential side effects, and how to take their medication correctly.
The Right Checks: Following the 'Right Patient, Right Medication, Right Dose, Right Route, Right Time, Right Reason, Right Documentation' protocol.
Technology Utilization: Using barcode scanning and electronic health records to reduce administration errors.
Encourage Reporting: Fostering an environment where near-misses and errors are reported and analyzed without blame, leading to continuous improvement.

A Comparative Look at Medication Safety Roles


Aspect	Patient's Responsibility	Healthcare Provider's Responsibility
Information	Maintain an accurate and complete list of all medications, including OTCs and supplements.	Verify patient's medication list with multiple sources and check for allergies and interactions.
Adherence	Follow the prescribed dosage and schedule precisely, asking questions if unclear.	Clearly communicate dosing instructions and provide support tools like medication reminders.
Monitoring	Report any new or unusual symptoms, potential side effects, or concerns to a provider.	Monitor the patient's response to treatment and adjust the care plan as needed.
Communication	Be honest about financial concerns, adherence issues, or any difficulties with the treatment plan.	Answer patient questions thoroughly, explaining the purpose, risks, and benefits of each medication.
Storage	Store medications properly in a secure, cool, dry place away from children and pets.	Educate patients on correct storage conditions for their specific medications.
Disposal	Promptly and safely dispose of expired or unused medicines via designated programs or household waste methods.	Inform patients about proper disposal methods for medications.

Conclusion: A Collaborative Approach for Medication Without Harm

The WHO's Global Patient Safety Challenge, 'Medication Without Harm', provides a crucial framework for addressing a critical issue in healthcare. It makes clear that medication safety is not the sole responsibility of the patient or the healthcare provider, but rather a collaborative effort requiring vigilance and communication from all parties. From managing the complexity of polypharmacy to navigating transitions of care, a focus on system improvements and patient empowerment is essential. By embracing the "KNOW. CHECK. ASK." mantra and following practical safety steps, patients can become active partners in their own care, while healthcare professionals reinforce safe systems and practices. Ultimately, achieving the goal of 'Medication Without Harm' depends on a collective, sustained commitment to putting patient safety at the core of all medical processes.

World Health Organization: Medication Without Harm

Frequently Asked Questions

The WHO's 'Medication Without Harm' is a global initiative launched in 2017 to reduce severe, avoidable medication-related harm by 50%. It focuses on improving practices and systems related to prescribing, dispensing, and administering medicines worldwide.

Polypharmacy is the use of multiple medications, often in older adults. It is a key focus because it significantly increases the risk of dangerous drug interactions and adverse reactions, which the WHO initiative aims to address through careful medication review.

The 5 Moments are key actions patients can take to reduce risk. They involve understanding your medication when starting it, taking it, adding a new one, reviewing your medications, and stopping them.

You can practice this campaign by knowing your medication names and purpose, checking dosages and schedules, and asking your doctor or pharmacist questions about side effects, interactions, and safe use.

Medications should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from light and moisture, and out of sight and reach of children. The bathroom or kitchen should be avoided due to heat and humidity.

You should safely dispose of expired or unused medications promptly. The best method is through a drug take-back program. If unavailable, mix them with an unappealing substance like kitty litter before sealing and discarding in the trash.

Maintaining an up-to-date medication list, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements, is crucial for preventing dangerous drug interactions. It ensures all healthcare providers are aware of everything you are taking.