People’s ability to perform reliably and safely relies on the physical work environment. Nowhere is this connection more critical than in healthcare environments, which can be noisy, dimly lit, and chaotic. The United States Pharmacopeia addresses this issue in its draft general chapter of standards, “Physical Environments that Promote Safe Medication Use,” which specifies work environment guidelines to support efficient and safe medication use.
This article reviews the recommendations with case studies to show their potential impact on patient care and further discuss the research.
In healthcare environments, the physical working conditions can influence care providers’ ability to perform safely. The United States Pharmacopeia draft general chapter addresses five interconnected elements of the healthcare work system: the person, the task, the tools and technologies, the environment, and the organization. Because the healthcare environment is an interdependent system, change in any of the elements could impact results.