Reflection is not just for the mirror

WHILE one major focus of pharmacists is the prevention of errors, mistakes unfortunately still occur.

The PDL Professional Officers support and recognise that pharmacists are fallible. As part of the incident reporting process, pharmacists are reminded that the priority is always the well-being of the client. Once the health of the client and incident reporting is addressed, the next step is to reflect.

Reflection involves consciously considering our experiences, actions, feelings, responses and finally analysing to learn from the situation. Reflection should be analytical, rational and honest, even though this may be confronting. It must go beyond a superficial response, such as simply describing the incident and moving on, as this may not reduce the risk of a recurrence. Reflection requires a pharmacist to consider their actions and behaviours as well as those of the staff and client.

The final stage of reflection is the action plan. Think about the steps needed to prevent further incidents, the people who should be involved and make a plan. It’s said, “Mistakes are meant for learning, not repeating”. (For further insights search “Gibbs’ cycle of reflection”).

If you require assistance to report an incident, please speak to one of our Professional Officers via 1300 854 838 or visit www.pdl.org.au.