Wiping Out Medical Errors

Medication error Medication error is one of the biggest problems in the healthcare field. Patients are dying due to wrong drug or dosage. Medication error is any preventable incident that leads to inappropriate medication use or harms the patient while the medication is in the control of the health care professional,or patient (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2015). It is estimated about 44,000 inpatients die each year in the United States due to medication errors which were indeed preventable (Mahmood, Chaudhury, Gaumont & Rust, 2012). There are many factors that contribute to medication error. However, the most common that factors are human factors, right patient information, miscommunication of abbreviations, wrong dosage. Healthcare providers do not intend to make medication errors, but they happen anyways. Therefore, nursing should play a tremendous role to reduce medication error

Medication errors are focused on: terms and definitions; incidence of and harm; risk factors; avoidance; disclosure, legalities & consequences (Wittich, Burkle & Lanier, 2014). Medication errors categories have been developed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Examples of these categories are based on prescribing, omitting drugs not administered, timing, unauthorized drug, wrong dosage, wrong preparation, expired drug, not using laboratory data to monitor toxicity (Wittich, Burkle & Lanier, 2014). Additionally, this article examines in depth common causes leading to medication errors, drug nomenclature, similar sounding drugs, unapproved abbreviations and handwriting, medical staff shortages and manufacturer medication shortages. Even though this article provides an informative overview for physicians, other allied health personnel may benefit too. This is valuable knowledge for the health care professional not just physicians in order to provide safe care for their

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

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA 2009), the wrong route of administrating medication accounts for 1.3 million injuries each year. An article published in September issue of the Journal of Patient Safety estimates there are between 210,000 and 400,000 deaths per year associated with medical errors. This makes medical errors the third leading cause of deaths in the United States, behind that comes heart disease and cancer. To prevent medical errors always follow the Three Checks and most importantly the Rights of Medication Administration. The “Rights of Medication Administration” helps to ensure accuracy when administering medication to a patient. When administering medication the administer should ensure they have the Right Medication, Right Patient, Right Dosage, Right Route, Right Time, Right Route, Right Reason, and Right Documentation. Also remember the patient has the right to refuse, assess patient for pain, and always assess the patient for signs of effects.

3. Improve the safety of using medications. The findings were that often medication error were made because medications and other solutions were removed from their original

Errors made while administering medications is one of the most common health care errors reported. It is estimated that 7,000 hospitals deaths yearly are attributed to medication administration errors.

ode medication administration, medication errors, adverse drug events Bar Code Medication Administration: An Intervention to Reduce Inpatient Medication Errors Medication errors in the hospital setting have significant potential to result in serious injury and even death, thus effecting patients, families, health care professionals, and hospitals. Approximately 400,000 adverse drug effects (ADE) occur each year (Institute of Medicine, 2006). Considering that not all medication errors are discovered and reported, this number is likely to be underestimated. These errors not only contribute to patient morbidity and mortality, but also cause increased length of stay and hospital expenses. It is estimated by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that $3.5 billion is spent annually as a result of ADEs (IOM, 2006).

Researchers have identified that hospitalized patients are subject to one medication administration error per day, implying that approximately 1.5 million preventable drug event arise yearly in the United State. Medication errors are among the most common medical error, costing more than 3.5 billion

Six “Rights” and Medication Errors According to Kanneh, six “rights” of medication administration need to be implemented with every patient. Drugs are not always one hundred percent safe, but observing the six rights will make administration safer (Kanneh, 2011). These rights include the right person, drug, dosage, time, route, and documentation (Kanneh, 2011). It is more likely for an adverse reaction to occur if a drug is given to the wrong patient because of his or her own allergies and appropriate age of a child for a dose needs to be taken into consideration (Kanneh, 2011). A child’s age is important because metabolism of drugs is different for each year of childhood (Kanneh, 2011).

As a student pharmacist, I am interested in medication errors and initiatives for their prevention. In response to the IOM’s report, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency enhanced its error reduction strategies by implementing a new division dedicated to medication errors.3

Balancing activity of medication botches relies upon epidemiological data, area of bungles, and changes in execution. Support of principles is the best quality level in recognizing troublesome prescription related events and, in future, automated watching will be the system for getting threatening events beforehand they happen. Specifying reveals arrangement bungles,

Medication Error and its adverse effects to the elderly Firehiwot Bealy University of Regina Medication Error and Its Adverse Effects Older adults are at high risk for adverse effects of medication error more than their counteract younger adults. This is because they depend on more than one medication in order to treat or prevent disease, syndromes and sickness (Lindenberg, 2010). It is inevitable that the elderly face adverse effects of drugs while on medication especially when they still live independently. However, chances of errors in hospitals and care homes are more frequent when the medication process connects several departments (Belen et. al., 2009). Therefore, tactical measures are required in the provision of drug therapy in order to optimize safe medication in older adults. This paper discusses the issue by analyzing the existing structure of administering medication, reviewing the occurrence of medication errors; evaluating systems developed to advance safe medication administration. Finally, addressing the implication for professional nursing practice.

Medication errors commonly occur in healthcare facilities. According to the Joint Commission, these medication errors are believed to be the most common type of medical error and are a significant cause of preventable adverse events (The Joint Commission, 2008). Many experts agree with the research that medication errors have the potential to cause harm within the pediatric population about three times as higher than in the adult population. This is due to medication dosing errors that are weight-based dosing calculations, fractional dosing, and misplacement of the decimal point that can lead to overdosing or under dosing (The Joint Commission, 2008). Children are at greater risk than adults for medication errors because they have an immature physiology as well as developmental limitations that affect their ability to communicate and self-administer medications (The Joint Commission, 2008). Another important factor is that the great majority of medications are developed in concentrations appropriate for adults; therefore, pediatric indications and dosage guidelines often aren 't included with a medication, necessitating weight-based dosing or dilution (The Joint Commission, 2008). The need to alter the original medication dosage requires a series of pediatric-specific calculations and tasks, each significantly increasing the possibility of error (The Joint Commission, 2008). Additionally, an observation of safety regulations and practices by Nemours Children’s

A physician could make mistakes in prescribing, the pharmacy could send the wrong medication, but who actually gave it to the patient is accountable for the consequences. For this reason, it’s our responsibility to implement change in our practice based on the evidence in order to ensure safe patient care.

Suggestions to decrease drug errors and harm is for medical professionals to utilize the “five rights” which are the right individual, the right medication, the right dosage, the right route, and the given at the right time. The five rights ought to be known as the goal of the drug procedures not the “be all and end all” of the safety of medications. The five rights concentrated on the medical professional’s performance and not on their human aspects and system flaws that could possibly cause implementing the tasks to be very challenging or impossible. It’s the physician or specialists job is not all about attaining the five rights, but it’s to follow the rules that were created within the organization to generate these results and outcomes