[Action plan of the Federal Ministry of Health for improvement of medication safety in Germany : An inventory].

In 2008, the Federal Ministry of Health launched an action plan for the improvement of medication safety. The action plan includes measures to prevent medication errors. Implementation of the action plan is supported by national associations of all professional groups involved in the medication process as well as patient associations. The major importance of medication safety has been recognised not only by scientists and researchers but also by political decision-makers. More efforts are clearly needed to translate the findings gleaned from the action plans into binding regulations to secure their nationwide implementation and, in the process, the further material improvement of medication safety. Irrespective of any such regulations-which is for the legislator or regulator to take-the fact remains that the greatest contributions towards this goal must come not only from the medical and nursing professionals in their daily clinical practice but also, and even to a far greater extent than has been the case so far, from the patients themselves.