Interview with Rebaa Ali-Sherif – Canadian Patient Safety Week 2023
Interview with Rebaa Ali-Sherif – Canadian Patient Safety Week 2023
During Canadian Patient Safety Week we interviewed Rebaa Ali-Sherif, Coordinator for our new Clinic Peer Quality & Compliance Program, for further insights into how this exciting initiative will shape and improve CATC’s medication safety procedures.
What does patient safety mean to you?
Patient safety is front and center for me every single day. Everything from safe medication handling and administration to the physical layout of our centres.
What interests you most about patient safety?
The various delivery methods CATC has to outline patient safety in order to decrease potential errors. From creating or adjusting a standard operating procedure, customized webinars for our CARE teams, topic specific lunch and learns and interactive training materials. The importance of patient safety can be coached using various platforms to increase engagement and understanding within our CARE teams.
What impact do you think our new peer quality program is having/going to have on patient safety?
Having the peer quality program will impact patient safety in two ways. First, it will allow for the participants visiting the clinics to understand the reasons why procedures are put into place and the importance behind implementing them within designated roles. After learning the importance of procedures, there’s always room for improvement and hearing suggestions on what can be altered as these policies are practiced by those in the quality program.
Second, team members within the clinics participating in the quality program will meet other peers who they may not have ever gotten a chance to meet and share ideas with. This can also play a positive role in the peer to peer relationship when there is an action item needing attention or if a policy is not fully understood.
What differentiates CATC from other service providers when it comes to patient and medication safety?
We create access to best in class, evidence-based addiction treatment delivered through services while also focusing on quality and patient experience. We provide a variety of treatment options throughout Canada from specialist CARE team members to serve our community and patients. New staff are welcomed to the company through various training modules and webinar sessions with our senior expert staff. Standard operating procedures implemented throughout clinics ensure that a unified approach is being taken when patients present to the clinic for treatment, whether it’s for OAT or Hepatitis C.
What do you think is the biggest challenge for maintaining the highest standard of medication safety?
A lack of understanding of why procedures are completed can increase the chances of errors occurring. CATC standard operating procedures and policies were created by senior expert staff from lessons learned and the implementation of best practice guidelines. Without understanding the base reasoning behind policies, this creates a challenge in why routine and procedure is important.
What’s your message to our pharmacy and clinic staff who work to ensure the safe administration of medication for our patients every day?
We see the hard work you put into changing patient lives by being present, not only for administering medication to our patients every day but also being present with the patient at that given moment. Engage with your patients to participate in their medication administration checks; don’t rush or skip steps.
What is your message to our patients?
Take an active role in your treatment! We will be with you on your hard days when you walk in our doors for the first time and all the way through your journey with us.
Thanks for sharing your insights into this exciting new program, Rebaa! Happy Canadian Patient Safety Week!
Hear more from other members of our teams
Read our interview with Kason Chan, Pharmacy Manager at TRC Front St Pharmacy and TRC Crescent St Pharmacy.
Read our interview with Marissa Wells, a participant in our new Clinic Peer Quality & Compliance Program
Read our interview with Kylie Cordick, a member of our Quality & Continuous Improvement team.