Medication safety has become a global issue contributing to unacceptably high number of deaths and disabilities in the world. Medication error is the third leading cause of death in United State of America with 180,000 deaths occurring annually, according to the British Medical Journal publishes in 2016. Incorrect use of medicines accounts for most of the serious and life threatening incidents. Errors occurring in middle and lower incomecountries are considered to be much higher than thosereported from high income countries.

World Health Organization (WHO) declared medication safety as a global patient safety challenge at thesecond Ministry Summit on 2017. At this international summit, all the countries were requested to make a pledge to develop a national action plan to reduce sever harm due to medication errors by 50% in the next 5 years.

Directorate of Healthcare quality and Safety (DHQS) is the apex body of the National Healthcare Quality and Safety Programme in Sri Lanka. Strengthening programmes for safe clinical procedures and processes is a key strategic area in National policy on healthcare quality and safety.

Professor Priyadarshani Galappatthy, Professor in Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, who is a member of the WHO expert working group on medication safety has taken the initiative to develop a draft national action plan on medication safety for Sri Lanka and submitted it to the Ministry of Heath for necessary action.

The DHQS conducted six consultative meetings to discuss proposed plan with all stakeholders to finalize the action planon medication safety for implementation.

Consultative meetings were organized by the DHQS and technical assistance was provided by World Health Organization (WHO) and Professor Priyadarshani Galappatthy.

The actionplanwas established with the objective to minimize medication errors in public and private healthcare sectors in Sri Lanka. The action plan is to be launched in 2020 with approval of Director General Health Services.