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What happens when there is a Medication Error

Theoretically, all medication errors are preventable…

Traditionally, medication errors have been attributed to mistakes by individual clinicians (physicians, nurses, pharmacists) or by patients. Even though individuals are often responsible for making these errors, this “blame-seeking” approach does not consider the chain of events that may have led to the error, and it fails to address the root cause and most important reason for most medication errors—systems failures.

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Articles of Interest

A Step Towards Protecting Patients from Medication Errors

While no doctor, nurse, or pharmacist wants to make a mistake that harms a patient, research shows that 2% of hospitalized patients experience serious preventable medication-related incidents that can be life-threatening, cause permanent harm, or result in death. There are many factors contributing to medical mistakes, often rooted in deficient systems, tools, processes, or working conditions, rather than the flaws of individual clinicians.

A systematic review of patient medication error on self-administering medication at home

The elderly and the preschooler population constituted a higher number of mistakes than others. The most common were: incorrect dosage, forgetting, mixing up medications, failing to recall indications and taking out-of-date or inappropriately stored drugs.

Child Medication Errors Occur Every 8 Minutes, Study Says

The study authors argue that medication errors are a significant public-health problem that needs more attention. One way to cut down, they suggest, is by making drug packaging and their labels more clear when it comes to directions and dosing.

Doctors must now prescribe drugs using their chemical name, not brand names. That’s good news for patients

This national legislation change, called active ingredient prescribing, is long overdue for Australian health care. Using the name of the drug — instead of the brand name, of which there are often many — will simplify how we talk about and use medications. This could have a range of benefits, including fewer medication errors by both doctors and patients.

Five ways to avoid becoming a victim of prescription drugs errors

A study has revealed that mistakes in the writing or dispensing of medicine can cost up to 22,000 people their lives every year. Here’s how to avoid being one of them.

How pharmacists can help solve medication errors

Ensuring an accurate, managed medication list for each patient would require a radical change in the business of health care. The current community pharmacy business model is based upon the volume of drugs dispensed. In a new patient-centered model, pharmacists would be reimbursed for dispensing their advice to patients, just as they are for dispensing drugs. In this model, the pharmacist is a critical member of the patient’s health care team.

How to Prevent the Top 4 Medication Errors

Technology can also be a critical aspect of reducing medication errors that can occur throughout the medication use cycle, such as barcode scanning, integrated electronic health orders, and tools such as smart infusion pumps.

Medication Dispensing Errors And Prevention

In addition to the monetary cost, patients experience psychological and physical pain and suffering as a result of medication errors. Finally, a major consequence of medication errors is that it leads to decreased patient satisfaction and a growing lack of trust in the healthcare system

Medication Errors Injure 1.5 Million People and Cost Billions of Dollars Annually...

Medication errors encompass all mistakes involving prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, vitamins, minerals, or herbal supplements. Errors are common at every stage, from prescription and administration of a drug to monitoring of the patient's response,

Medication Errors: Cut Your Risk With These Tips

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of a medication error is to take an active role in your own health care. Learn about the medications you take—including possible side effects. Never hesitate to ask questions or share concerns with your doctor, pharmacist and other health care providers.

Patients Make More Medication Mistakes

Researchers find that the number of mistakes is rising; errors can mean patients wind up hospitalized.

Rate of medication errors resulting in serious medical outcomes rising, study finds

Researchers advise parents to keep medication logs and store all medications up, away, and out of sight.

The Importance of Medication Errors Reporting in Improving the Quality of Clinical Care Services

Medication errors (MEs) are among the most common medical errors, harming about 1.5 million people every year. Medication errors are main contributors to adverse events to hospitalized patients.

Working to Reduce Medication Errors

A medication error is defined as "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer,” according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention.

Resources

10 Strategies to Reduce Medication Errors

Pharmacists are positioned to play a key role in preventing or catching errors that can occur at the various stages of the drug-use process: prescribing, dispensing, and administration.

Institute for Safe Medication Practices

The world’s foremost non-profit organization educating the healthcare community and consumers about safe medication practices

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy

The health care community must recognize that both people and systems contribute to medication errors. The focus should be on identifying the error-prone aspects of the medication use continuum with the goal of improving system safety and reliability through remedial action.