A UK perspective on human factors and patient safety education in pharmacy curricula

Objectives: Avoiding unnecessary harm is increasingly a priority for healthcare organisations and this focus has seen the emergence of patient safety as a distinct discipline. The value of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) approaches in underpinning this safety science is becoming recognised. This shift in professional priorities has been slow to filter into educational curricula, and little is known about how providers support students in developing safety competence. With respect to pharmacy education, this is problematic, given the high occurrence of drug-related adverse events. The aim of this review was to take a systematic approach to exploring patient safety teaching in healthcare curricula. Findings: Key findings included a lack of formally articulated patient safety curricula, meaning student understanding is significantly shaped by a ‘hidden curriculum’ (informal learning about safety). The quality of this curriculum is influenced by the culture of the practice environment. Human Factors and Ergonomics appeared largely absent from curricula. Summary: Despite its absence from healthcare curricula, Human Factors and Ergonomics approaches offer a vehicle for embedding patient safety teaching. The authors suggest a model for a future curriculum.