Improvement Opportunity Quality Needle Analysis: Pharmacy Dispensing Process

3. Medication errors, handoff process and information quality. Chiru, Alina M; Baxter, Ryan. Business Process Management Journal 19.2, (2003): 2011-2016

Medication errors are the leading cause of morbidity and preventable death in hospitals (Adams). In fact, approximately 1.5 million Americans are injured each year as a result of medication errors in hospitals (Foote). Not only are medication errors harmful to patients but medication errors are very expensive for hospitals. Medication errors cost America’s health care system 3.5 billion dollars per year (Foote).Errors in medication administration occurs when one of the five rights of medication administration is omitted. The five rights are: a) the right dose, b) the right medication, c) the right patient, d) the right route of administration, and e) the right time of delivery (Adams). Medication administration is an essential part of

I also work closely with local pharmacies and doctors around the changing of a person’s medication. It’s important that we work closely together to ensure that the service user is having the correct medication at all times.

Outcome measures assess whether the interventions to improve medication safety practice will be successful. During the interview of the new employee, competency evaluation related to medication administration will be applied first. In addition, during the orientation for these new employees, adequate training will be provided to ensure the importance of preventing medication errors. They will be given a list of similar and look-alike medications and will focus on medications that cause the most adverse reactions when errors may occur. Then, after training and when staff start working, they will be supervised during their first few months. When they are not supervised, they will be assessed and evaluated for any errors. During this process,

Ogrinc, G., & Huber, S. Institute for Healthcare Improvement, (2013). How a root cause analysis works. Retrieved from Institute for Healthcare Improvement website: http://app.ihi.org/lms/lessondetailview.aspx?LessonGUID=95d54b96-7750

As a leader in the workplace, medication errors mostly occur when the workplace is understaffed with a patient load of full nursing cares that require more attention and care than patients who are independent. Due to being understaffed with a patient load of 13 to 2 nurses, medication errors occur more often as nurses are being rushed to finish all cares within their work timeframe. To decrease medication errors it is important to implement more staff during medication rounds, thus giving nurses additional time to concentrate and assure that the correct medication and dose is being given to the right patient ( ). The 6 medication rights are important to implement into every workplace as it decreases the chances of administrating medication to the wrong patients ( ). The medication right include; ______________________________________________________________ ( ). Medication errors have important implications for patient safety and in improving clinical practice errors to prevent any adverse events (

Chapter IV explains that not everyone in the healthcare profession is permitted to dispense medicine without a physician order, there are regulations and precautions that must be observed in order to prevent misunderstandings. It is very important to see out any situations that the patient may have that prevents them from healthcare whether it is transportation, medicine allergies or disabilities. According to a U.S Food and Drug Administration article, a medication error is "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures,

In today’s current fast-paced and demanding field of heath care, medication administration has become complex and time-consuming task. Approximately one-third of the nurses’ time is used in medication administration. There is much potential for error because of the complexity of the medication administration process. Since nurses are the last ones to actually administer the medication to the patient therefore they become responsible for medication administration errors (MAE). Reasons for MAE may include individual factors, organizational factors or system factors. This paper will discuss the root causes analysis of MAE and strategies to prevent them.

The higher incidence rate from the above suggested that the medication errors is an issue which is preventing the quality service. The puzzle often starts with whose problem is it. the medication error is the problem of all health care professionals and due to this errors the patients has to suffer. While discussing or thinking about an issue, possible solution is already on its way. But the

It is very important that as a big advocate of my pharmacy that my team been one accord with me. This is one of my dreams so my passion to make sure my consumers is safe and that my staff is well trained is important. first thing that would need to happen to make sure every single one of my staff understand what their job is and their position is train each position. The staff must complete a certain amount of training in order to adequate proceed with their job. The staff must realize that it can be no mistakes. They must understand that we are dealing with people's lives. The change of the new pharmacy in the facility would not be a drastic on. This type of change may be needed to properly accommodate the customers. The non- Clinical staff

There are other pharmacy staff who also have roles in relation to the safe dispensing of medicines. A pharmacist is responsible for: Overall checking of a prescription to make sure that it is legal and written by a person qualified to do so, dispensing the right quantity of the correct medicine, ensuring that medicines are correctly labelled with the person’s name, the name of the medicine and the dosage, providing advice and treatment for minor illnesses, injuries and health concerns, providing a repeat prescription service in co-operation with GP

This data analysis leads 3 themes: classification error types, root cause analysis to identify the underlying potential or probable causes and drive the preventive actions to redesigning of workflow, processes, layout & enhancement of pharmacy information system.

As a quality improvement professional, I was presented with a Peer Review Quality Improvement Project to critically evaluate the structure and elements within the project. The purpose of this paper will describe the results of the critique ratings and methods used to evaluate the Quality Improvement Project. Subsequently, it will make recommendations and provide constructive feedback to improve the effectiveness of the Quality Improvement Project to improve the quality performance problems related to medication errors.

Set-up and workflow of my pharmacy is pretty good for patient centered care. Patient does not have to wait too long for their prescriptions to be filled. Patients can call for their refills via telephone or online, which makes their life easy as they don’t have bother coming in-person for refills. Patient profile shows all medication history as well as number of refills remaining. This makes it easy for pharmacist to know whether to refill a prescription or call doctor for refill request. After confirming to fill a prescription pharmacist runs claim through insurance and print label after claim is successful. All medication is arranged alphabetically on shelves, thus it is easy and quick to retrieve. Then after technician fills medication and then pharmacist checks it. This workflow is quite smooth and quick to process. Final check is done by pharmacist, who confirms right medication for right patient as well as the NDC dispensed, amount dispensed, direction for use, and day supply. All these steps of process take place on working table in sequential order, which helps to reduce errors in filling and have effective prescription filling. Once the prescription is filled pharmacist do all paper

According to the analysis of the pharmacy fulfillment process by PSI team, a number of major problems in the five basic steps should be concerned and emphasized by the company.